Dec. 8, 2025
50 States of Folklore - Florida: Robert The Doll
Behind glass in a Key West museum, a life-sized doll in a sailor suit stares back with painted eyes that never seem quite still. Staff warn visitors to ask Robert’s permission before taking his photo, and the walls around him are lined with apology letters from people who say their lives fell apart after they laughed, mocked, or ignored the rules. We trace Robert the Doll’s path from a strange childhood companion to an object blamed for accidents, breakups, and streaks of brutal bad luck. Listen closely, and decide if you’d dare stand in front of him without saying “please.”
