Washington family used Victorian doll as 14th dinner guest; home is now a museum

A Victorian doll named Michael occupies a unique place in Washington, DC’s history, not simply as an antique kept in a museum but as part of a family tradition shaped by superstition, grief and spiritualism. Displayed at the Heurich House Museum, Michael was reportedly seated at the dinner table when the Heurich family entertained 13 guests, helping them avoid a number considered unlucky. His story is closely connected to Amelia Heurich, whose experiences and beliefs reflected a wider fascination with communicating with the dead during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.What connects Michael the Victorian doll, the Washington museum and spiritualismMichael’s place in the Heurich household was more unusual than that of an ordinary decorative doll. According to an Axios report, the family reportedly brought him to the dinner table whenever 13 guests were present, making him the additional guest who helped ward off bad luck.