The "Dance of the Puppets" was one of the more charming electrical demonstrations of the later 18th century. An illustration extracted from Adams' 1792 Essay upon Electricity, at right, shows its basics. There is a grounded metal plate, and above, another metal plate suspended from an electrostatic generator. (The round hook would fasten over the main terminal of the generator; the height of the lower plate can be adjusted to match.)

Small puppets, cut from paper or carved from pith, would be put between the plates. When the generator was charged, the puppets would first stand up through field alignment, then begin to dance up and down. This is exactly the same phenomenon we see in Volta's hailstorm or Franklin's bells - alternate attraction and repulsion from charged surfaces.

The "dance" set below is of unknown origin, though it is probably from about 1800 if the clothing of the puppets serves as a guide. The puppets are very delicate - pith is even lighter and frailer than balsa-wood - so we cannot use this set. The upper and lower plates are also delicate, made of tinfoil-covered cardboard. Using modern replicas, this demonstration is a sure crowd-pleaser.

Museum Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10 to 5
Thursdays 10 am to  8pm 
Closed Major Holidays
Library Hours: Monday - Friday 9 to 4:30

Admission: $7 Adults; $5 Students & Seniors; Children 3 and under are FREE!

© The Bakken Updated: April 6, 2007