This experiment invented in 1762 by Swedish professor Johan Carl Wilcke, but Italian scientist Alessandro Volta improved and popularized the device in 1775.
An electrophorus is a simple manual capacitive generator used to produce electrostatic charge via the process of electrostatic induction.
You can try this experiment with modern materials.

Materials: Acrylic plate, Metal tray, Plastic bottle, Plastic cups, Balloon.

First, rub a balloon on the acrylic plate. (generate static electricity)
Next, put it a metal plate with handle over the acrylic plate.
Next, Touch the metal plate.
Next, hold the handle and lift the metal tray.
A metal plate is charged with the opposite polarity with an acrylic plate.
If you touched the metal plate, you will get shocked by static electricity.
The acrylic plate's electrostatic charge is constant during this experiment.