Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State: Mandy the Haunted Doll

Thursday, October 3, 2024

Mandy the Haunted Doll

The collection of the Quesnel and District Museum and Archives of British Columbia has an interesting piece. What may seem like an ordinary, early 20th century doll with a damaged face is actually one of the museum's most often visited artifacts. That's because it's also one of the museum's most HAUNTED artifacts.

Not much is known about Mandy the Doll's early history, but it is estimated that she was made sometime between 1900 and 1920. In 1991, she was given to the museum by an anonymous female donor who claimed the doll gave her a weird vibe. She had inherited the doll from her grandmother, and for many years, it had been kept in a locked trunk. Legend states that one evening, the woman heard the cries of a baby, coming from the basement where Mandy's trunk was kept. Finally mustering up the courage to check it out, she found a window open, and Mandy missing. But, Mandy would somehow return the next morning, like she had never left at all. According to the museum, the woman donated the antique doll shortly after her daughter was born, both because she was creeped out by it, but also because she wanted to know the fragile doll would be kept safe. I can't help but wonder if she was more concerned with keeping her family safe from Mandy than the other way around!

In any event, Mandy came to live at the Quesnel and District Museum, and immediately began giving the staff problems. When Mandy was acquired by the museum, she had to be photographed and cataloged as an official part of their collection. Following this first day ritual, she was left overnight in the lab. As staff returned the next day, they found the lab in complete disarray. Items were knocked over, strewn about, and the room was just an overall mess. It was almost as if a child had had a temper tantrum.

Source: Cabinet of Curiosities

Mandy would continue to throw her temper tantrums and prank the staff. Staff would report their paperwork, documents and even LUNCHES would go missing, only to be found later on in the most random of places. Also, Mandy could not be displayed near other dolls. Almost as if she was jealous of them, they'd be found knocked over whenever Mandy was left in a room alone with them.

The year 1999 was a busy year for Mandy. She was featured in the book, Supernatural Stories Around British Columbia. She was also flown to New York to appear on the Montel Williams Show for an episode with psychic, Sylvia Browne. Browne felt the doll had originally been owned by twin girls who had died of polio. It was their mother's grief that had left a psychic imprint on the doll.

After her television appearance and her story published, Mandy began to draw quite a few visitors to the Quesnel Museum! People from miles around wanted to see the haunted doll for themselves. Unfortunately, Mandy wasn't too keen on them taking any souvenir pictures of her. Visitors found that when they tried to take a picture, their camera batteries would die or their flash would fail to initiate, leaving an underexposed piece of film. In that regard, she's very much like Robert the Doll, who resides in a museum in Key West. Robert also has been known to cause camera malfunctions and a string of bad luck to those who he deems disrespectful.

Twenty-five years later, and Mandy is still available to view at the Quesnel and District Museum. You can read her story, including her scrapbook of reports from visitors and staff, watch YouTube clips of her, and if you're lucky....maybe she'll let you take her photograph!