Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Ever Wondered Where Lava Lamps Came From?

Here is the answer-


"...starts from nothing, grows possibly a little bit feminine, then a little bit masculine, then breaks up and has children. It's a sexy thing."- Craven Walker
Singapore-born inventor Craven Walker was having a pint in post W.W.II England. The pub's decor included a fascinating lamp, which Craven Walker described as a "contraption made out of a cocktail shaker, old tins and things." It was to become the starting point and inspiration for Walker's design.
The liquid-filled inventor proceeded to purchase the equally liquid-filled lamp, whose creator (Mr. Dunnett) Walker later discovered had died. Walker became determined to make a better version of the novelty item and spent the next decade and a half doing so ( in between running an international house-swap agency and making films about nudism ). Walker worked on improving the lamp with his company the Crestworth Company of Dorset, England.
Initially local retail merchants thought his lamps were ugly and disgusting. Luckily, for Craven Walker the "Psychedelic Movement" and the "Love Generation" came to dominate 60's merchandising in Great Britain and sales of the lava lamp soared. It was the perfect light for modern times, Walker declared. "If you buy my lamp, you won't need to buy drugs." Lava Lamp
He had perfected a secret Lava recipe of oil, wax and other solids. The original model had a large gold base with tiny holes to simulate starlight, and a 52 oz. globe that contained red or white Lava and yellow or blue liquid. He marketed the lamp in Europe under the name of Astro Lamp. Two American entrepreneurs saw the lava lamp displayed at a German trade show and bought the rights to manufacture the lava lamp in North America. They renamed it the Lava Lite lamp and began production in Chicago where it continues today. Craven Walker remained working as a technical advisor to the company. Before selling his company, sales of the lamps had exceeded seven million units. Today with over 400,000 lava amps made each year, the Lava Lite lamp is enjoying a comeback.

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