Franklin was not the first to build an electrostatic generator. This was followed in 1660 by Otto von Guericke, who invented an early electrostatic generator. Avery P. Clowes, Bolton, Mass., for his project on an electrostatic generator. Newton also constructed a primitive form of a frictional electrostatic generator, using a glass globe. He developed an electrostatic generator called "Plauson's converter". His electrostatic generator was created using a sulphur globe attached to an iron rod. The Van de Graaff generator is an electrostatic generator still used in research today. In 1843, Armstrong designed a full-scale electrostatic generator on electrically insulating legs. In simple language, an electrostatic generator is basically a giant capacitor (although lacking plates).