The eras of Lava Lite’s lamp design are, to me, usually easily distinguished and summarized, their individual design ethos appearing clear. The 1970s are all about pure silhouette; the 1980s (suffering from a sharp decline in lava lamp popularity) focus on a small offering of new colors for classic models; the 1990s bask in novelty, with frivolously decorated models as well as daring silhouettes; the 2000s slump into gimmick with a number of branded and decorated lamps of dubious taste, only sometimes punctuated by a revisiting of past glories; and the 2010s follow in stride, with only the Heritage Collection bringing back a few old and discontinued loves among a sea of Classic models with gaudy prints along their base, cap, and/or globe.
(As an aside – it may seem that my opinion is that lava lamps started out strong and declined from there, but that’s not entirely true. The 1990s and 2000s brought about some of my favorite Lava Lite models; and though I find them less interesting than their predecessors, some of those garish or gimmicky models of later-years Lava Lite are still incredibly charming to me. As well, Lava Lite is only one lava lamp brand, with great designs coming from other manufacturers throughout.)
But how does one define the 1960s for Lava Lite? Those years bring us some of the most iconic models of the brand (the Aristocrat and Century; the Consort, for better or for worse…) as well as some confounding variations that feel more in line with the printed lamps of the 2000s and 2010s (marbled variants of the aforementioned Aristocrat, the Night Lite and its juggling clown, or the confounding menorah lava lite, which disappointingly is not a candelabrum of seven individually-lit lava lamps, but just a Consort model with a picture of a menorah printed on the globe) and some very out-there designs that seem to try to make the lava lamp more than just a lamp (the Music Box, the Decorator with its planter of fake flowers, the desktop Executive with its swivel pen holders). In a sense, the ethos of 1960s Lava Lite seems to be: design in every direction! Take this wherever you can, as far as you can!
There’s one really straightforward way to do that: just make a really big lava lamp. And here comes the Imperial, the largest pre-2000s Lava Lite model.
The initial design of the lamp is straightforward enough: a large cylinder globe topped with a modestly pointed cap. According to hippielight.com, the Imperial’s globe was a standard Corning laboratory glass vessel. Utility was added by ensconcing the base of the Imperial into a 15” round walnut table – a Lava Lite catalog suggests it is “perfect for restaurants, nite clubs, theatres […] every hotel or motel lobby”. Despite this apparent advertising of the Imperial towards businesses, I feel it would make the greatest impression in a living room, where, as both side table and floor lamp, it could be an incredible statement piece.
Today, the Imperial is incredibly rare – according to The Lava Library, less than a dozen models are known to belong to collectors. Due to this rarity, I can’t estimate a resell price for the Imperial, though I’d bet it could be in the thousands. Originally, the Imperial retailed for $149.50.
MY REVIEW:
There is something abruptly charming about the Imperial, a sort of rough beauty. The Imperial rushed out to work late with its hair unbrushed, its shirt buttoned wrong and socks that don’t match, but will still catch your eye on the metro. It’s so easy to imagine a life with the Imperial. Its base diameter is small enough that it would fit in just right next to your couch or by an armchair, and you can easily picture yourself setting down your book or your glass on its little table. And what an impression it would make, its gigantic globe swirling lazily next to you!
At the same time, the Imperial feels almost gauche – this massive cylinder of glass filled with fluid and wax like a lab specimen, thrust into a much daintier mid-century side table. I can’t help but anthropomorphize the Imperial. I battle to call it an “it”, not a “she”. I think: gosh, she doesn’t really know who she is just yet, does she? She’s put on such a pretty dress, but her mannerisms are all rough and her posture slumps inelegantly. Yet I don’t want to tell her to stand up straight, to walk with her feet in a line, to contain that ugly nasal laugh of hers. Ultimately, the Imperial’s charm wins me over regardless. Maybe she’s a little awkward, and her figure betrays her pretensions to refinement. But goddammit, what a woman!
SILHOUETTE: 8/10
It’s hard to say the Imperial’s silhouette is anywhere near perfect. There’s an imbalance to it: the bulky, blocky globe and the fine, light legs beneath. The contrast is accentuated by the difference in texture and color, the brushed metal base into that rich wood. I could imagine a different globe – perhaps one shaped like the Mathmos’s Astrobaby, or even just a thinner, taller one – making for a more cohesive, prettier lamp. All the same, I can’t hold this against the Imperial. She charms me endlessly.
DETAILS: 6/10
This is where that contrast in materials really counts against the Imperial. If the base and table matched – if the tips of the feet were the same metal as the base and cap – it would be easier to give it higher points. Some other details also prove unfavorable: the electric cable comes out of the bottom of the base and trails beneath the table, its light switch ending up on the floor. A better design might have had that cable stuck beneath the table or attached to a leg – maybe had a more accessible switch. Still, I have to give it points for the shape of its cap, which I find quite charismatic. A higher point would have looked silly; a flat top, too plain. That cap is just the right shape. The base isn’t quite as pleasant, but I admittedly can’t think of a better way to do it, so it gets point there as well.
COLORWAYS: 8/10
The available colors for the Imperial are great, but they’re few. They’re the most typical lava lamp colorways: orange wax/yellow fluid, green wax/blue fluid, red wax/clear fluid – with the colored fluids later all being replaced with clear ones. The Lava Library also claims a champagne wax/champagne mist fluid variation existed (which would be cream-colored wax in a hazy amber fluid), but I wasn’t able to find any pictures of it.
An example of a "champagne mist" colorway, here in a Consort model.
While I would love to have seen more color variations for the Imperial (I’m especially a fan of purple and blue combinations), the colorways on offer here are in my opinion sufficient. In a way, they match that unpolished feeling I get from the lamp: just the bare essentials, solid and reliable.
POWER: 10/10
There lies the true strength of the Imperial: its sheer power of presence. So what if her hair is frizzy, she can’t quite walk in those heels, and she’s got something stuck in her teeth? You spotted her from across the room, and for the night you’re in love with her. Tall, imposing, uncompromising, the Imperial is a truly powerful lava lamp.
MY FINAL LAVA SCORE: 8/10
Is my information wrong? Did I miss a detail? Do you have a better picture of this model? Is there another model you’d like me to look into? Please send me an ask or submit relevant pictures!
