Freaky Friday: The World's Most Famous Possessed Plaything

Happy Friday everyone, congratulations, we made it! Today I want to look at the world of paranormal possessions and the world’s most famous paranormal Plaything, Robert.

Robert is a doll, not old by usual standards but at over a century old, Robert has certainly led a life. Gifted to a boy of the same name by a doting Uncle, following a trip to Germany. Robert was a mainstay in Gene’s (as the boy preferred to be called) life, from childhood, to adulthood and beyond, going everywhere with him and featuring heavily, even at social events.

Before we even get to the paranormal side of things, Robert was never an ordinary doll or teddy. Now residing in a museum in Florida, the curator has contacted Steiff, the original manufacturer of Robert and had it confirmed that Robert was never available for sale and may have been part of a window display featuring clowns and jesters, acquiring his signature sailor’s outfit at a later point in time – it may even have been an outfit of Gene’s.

With regards to Robert’s notoriety, that is said to have began when Gene was just a boy, blaming mishaps and accidents on Robert, thing which could have been attributed to a mischievous child, that is until things continued to happen, some of which were corroborated by adults. As he grew older, Gene moved in to a stately home he called “The Artist House” and Robert could often be seen positioned in one of the windows. Schoolchildren would pass and be convinced that Robert was able to appear and disappear of his own will and soon started to avoid the house.

Gene died in 1974 and “The Artist House” and Robert, passed in to the hands of Myrtle Reuter. Visitors to Myrtle’s new home often stated they could hear footsteps in the loft space, accompanied by childlike giggling; others often said they were sure Robert’s facial expression changed when someone spoke ill of the now deceased Gene. Though most notable was Reuter’s accusations that Robert often moved around the house of his own accord and so, after 20 years, she bequeathed him to the museum where he has remained ever since, the Fort East Martello Museum in Key West.

Since his arrival, Robert has become somewhat of a celebrity, receiving in excess of 1000 letters, ranging from people begging for forgiveness having not respected Robert during their visit and subsequently falling foul of a mishap, through to people requesting Robert put a hex on people.

Now residing in a humidity controlled, UV filtering case, Robert is “let out” once a year so that his condition can be assessed. Does his current caretaker think he’s possessed or haunted? In a word, no – but does concede that she has a “relationship” with him.