Lava Lamps
Amazing List of interesting Facts about Lava Lamps!
How cool are Lava Lamps? Regardless if you are an outright stoner, or a collector of Vintage 70’s Pop Culture, you can not deny that these amazing Lamps of Floating Lava hold an important piece of history. Lets go over a list of some amazing & interesting facts about Lava Lamps!
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Astro Lamp
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Egg Timer
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Big Time
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Austin Powers
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Death
Originally invented in 1963 by British accountant Edward Craven Walker, who is also the founder of the British lighting company Mathmos. Astro Lamps consists of a bolus of a special chemically colored wax mixture that is held within a glass vessel. The remainder of the lamp contains colorless, translucent liquid. To separate the lamp from the heating element, it is then placed on a box which contains an incandescent light bulb. This bulb is the source of heat which causes temporary reductions in the density & viscosity of the wax.
Edward’s invention was started in 1948 & took 15 years to perfect. Initially he noted that his inspiration came from an egg timer in a pub made of a cocktail shaker filled with what he described as alien-looking liquids bubbling on a stove top.
Originally intended to be a luxury item, eventually the Lava Lamp became synonymous with the hippy movement in the swinging 60’s, & became accepted as a standard psychedelic accessory. Eventually the Beatles Ringo Starr was known to have one in his home, signaling that Walker’s invention was a commercial success. Later on in the decade it would make an appearance on Dr. Who.
With the hippy movement dwindling, the Lava Lamp began to see a slump in sales in the 70’s. However due in part to the success of the Austin Powers movie series, there was a rekindled success as the next generation began to find an interest.
Leave it to an American; In 2004 Phillip Quinn from Kent, Washington was killed by a Lava Lamp which he had heating on his kitchen stove. While heating, Phillip was closely observing the chemical changes from only a few feet away! The additional heat from the stove caused a built up of pressure causing the Lava Lamp to explode. This violent explosion threw shards of glass, one of which actually pierced his heart. Unfortunately, Mister Quinn was found dead in his trailer home.
The Lava Lamp is a decorative novelty item made famous in the 1960’s & re-inspired in the 1990’s. Did we cover all the interesting facts? If not, feel free to leave a comment below!