How did Michael Faraday make his early electrical experiments as a bookbinding apprentice?

During his apprenticeship as a bookbinder, which began at age 14, Michael Faraday developed a deep interest in science by reading the books he was tasked with rebinding. He was particularly inspired by the article on electricity found in the third edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica.1

To conduct his own early electrical experiments, Faraday utilized simple, improvised materials:

• Electrostatic generator: He constructed a crude device using old bottles and lumber.1
• Voltaic pile: He built a weak version of this early battery to perform experiments in electrochemistry.1

These formative experiences, combined with his habit of reading scientific texts, laid the groundwork for his future career as one of the most influential physicists and chemists of the 19th century.21