Stagecraft without electricity in the time of the Enlightenment: Dalberg’s stage model

While stages now operate with the most modern technology to captivate the audience and the senses, the 18th century was also not without striking mechanical stage effects. The so-called Dalberg stage model, which is currently on loan from Mannheim in the exhibition “What is Enlightenment? Questions for the 18th Century”, gives fascinating insights into the sophisticated stage machinery of that time. Dr Irmgard Siede from the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen Mannheim (rem) tells the story behind the stage model.