Servants have largely disappeared, at least in human form. The functions of chambermaids and footmen, of domestics and assistants of all kinds have mostly been transferred to objects: whether in the household or in the virtual realm. Through individual case studies—such as baroque palace architecture, the laboratories of experimental sciences, and examples from literature like digital everyday life—Markus Krajewski traces the fascinating transformation of the servant. He presents, for the first time, a systematic cultural history of the subaltern that transcends historical epochs and disciplinary boundaries, written in a way that is both accessible and entertaining.