Lava lamps were invented in the 1950s but became popular in the 1960s. They work using an incandescent light bulb to heat up colored wax inside glass containers. Originally known as Astra Globes, they later became known as Lava Lamps and featured gold bases with red and blue wax. Today there are over 150 color combinations available and some lamps allow customization by erasing and redrawing on chalkboard bases. The largest lava lamp ever held 10 gallons of wax and stood 4 feet tall.

1. Fun Factsabout
Lava
®
Lamps
Fun Factsabout
Lava
®
Lamps
Lava®
lamps hit the market in
the 1960s. Even today, they’re
associated with that period’s
groovy style.
1 Innovative twists
from the 1960s origins
3
When they first entered the
marketplace, today’s Lava®
lamps
were known as Astra Globes —
and later as Lava Lites.
Astra Globe or
Lava®
lamp?
4
Wondering what makes the lava
flow up through a Lava®
lamp? Look
closely and you’ll see they use an
incandescent bulb.
They use an
incandescent bulb
5
While the first Lava®
lamp designs featured
a gold base filled with
white or red, and yellow
or blue lava, today, there
are more than 150 color
combinations available.
They come in
various colors
6
A Lava®
lamp featuring a “chalkboard”
base and cap lets you draw pictures and
write notes — then erase them and start
over as your artsy side takes over.
The chance to customize
can be a real draw
8
While typical Lava®
lamps are small
enough to sit on a table, the largest
ever made was 4 feet tall and held
10 gallons of lava formula.
The largest Lava®
lamp in the world
9
While it’s easy today to find Lava®
lamps
for under $20, the most expensive one
ever sold had a hefty price tag of $15,000!
The most expensive
Lava®
lamp ever sold
10
Lava®
lamps are enough of a standout in
American history for there to be one on display
at the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s
largest museum and research complex.
A part of history
7
The first time a Lava®
lamp appeared
on TV was in the 1960s, in the “Doctor
Who” television series.
First appeared on
TV in “Doctor Who”
British motor engineer Donald Dunnet
got a patent on his Lava®
lamp in
1950, although Veteran World War II
pilot Edward Craven Walker is said
to have had a similar idea in 1948.
Walker improved upon that invention
a decade later. When he perfected
it in 1963, Lava®
lamps entered
mass production and grew in
popularity through the 1980s
and ’90s.
2 Entered mass
production in 1963
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