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The lava lamp is the creation of Craven Walker, a WWII Royal Air Force Pilot, who was inspired by a crazy lamp he noticed while having a drink in a pub. Craven described the lamp as a “contraption made out of a cocktail shaker, old tins and things”. Although there are no records of what the lamp actually was, there are suggestions that it was some kind of egg timer, which worked by melting a wax ball suspended in liquid.
Whatever the murky origins of the idea, Craven Walker decided that he could do something with it. He tracked down the identity of the lamp’s creator, a man known only as Dunnet. Luckily for Craven, Dunnet was deceased, so Craven was able to patent the design himself and set to work on a new lamp.
During the next fifteen years, Craven worked on perfecting his secret formula that would allow the lamp to be safely mass produced. He funded his lifestyle during this time by making films about one of his other main obsessions: nudity.
By 1963, the first launch of the lamp, Craven had found his formula. The ‘Lava’ is a highly secret mix of wax and other materials, suspended in an oil mix. The idea was that the Lava would bubble up through the liquid when the lamp was heated, creating swirling colours and interesting effects. The first lamp was called the Astro Lamp, and was perfectly timed for the launch of the psychedelic 1960s.
The American rights for the lamps were quickly purchased, and re-launched as Lava Brand Motion Lamps. At one point during the 1960s, the lamps were advertised as ‘head trips that offered a motion for every emotion’. Millions of lamps were sold during the 60s, but by the 70s interest in them had waned. It was only with a revival of nostalgia in the 1980s that their fortunes picked up again.
Although rip off versions abound, there is only one company in the US which is licensed to produce the patented Lava Brand lamps, and only one in the UK. The recipe for Lava is still a closely guarded secret, and employees at either company must swear an oath of secrecy that they will never reveal what they know. Although many websites offer a recipe for the lava, it is advised that you do not try this at home – simply because the ingredients used are flammable, and may explode. Today’s professionally manufactured lamps use a special glass which is quick to react to temperature changes, making them perfectly safe for home use.
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