A Washington family seated a Victorian doll named Michael at dinner whenever 13 guests arrived; today, the house is a museum preserving their unusual tradition

Michael, the century-old doll. Image Credit: Heurich House Museum/Axios DCA 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.