Edward Craven Walker
Encyclopedia
Edward Craven Walker was the inventor of the psychedelic
Astro Lamp, known as the Lava Lamp
.
, flying a DeHavilland Mosquito over Germany to take photographs from an unarmed plane. He met his first wife, Marjorie Bevan Jones, at an air base where she was with the WAAF
. Craven continued flying after the war.
, Dorset
, Crestworth has supplied the world with lamps since 1963, changing its name to Mathmos in 1992 [1]. They were a big commercial success through the 1960s and early 1970s and became a symbolic of psychedelia. Craven said, "If you buy my lamp, you won't need drugs... I think it will always be popular. It is like the cycle of life. It grows, breaks up, falls down and then starts all over again".
In the late 1970s fashions moved on and lava lamps fell out of fashion. Craven Walker kept the company going throughout the 1980s but in a much smaller way.
in 1992. [1] Initially they were in partnership with Edward and Christine Craven Walker and the company was called Crestworth Trading Ltd. Over a period of years they bought out the Walkers bit by bit. They had the rights to produce Astro Lamps and continued to manufacture in the same location, using almost the same staff, machinery and even some of the 1960s components. Edward Craven Walker remained a consultant at Mathmos until his death helping particularly to improve the formula of the lamps.[2]
. It became one of the largest in the United Kingdom. Craven's passion created unrest in his life and was a contributory reason for his divorce from Marjorie, with whom he had 3 children. Craven married 4 times. Craven attempted to ban obese individuals from his naturist resort, arguing that obesity
defied ideals based on a healthy spiritual and physical life.
in film was taboo
but he evaded censors by not showing pubic hair
. As a result he became a pioneer in this genre
. Under the pseudonym
Michael Keatering, Craven directed the naturist film Travelling Light (1959). This was the first naturist film to receive public release in the UK. Described as an underwater ballet, it was shot off Corsica
and released in 1960. He later produced Sunswept (1961) and Eves on Skis (1963).
. He died at Matchams in Ringwood, Hampshire and was buried in a small cemetery in the New Forest. He was 82.
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
Astro Lamp, known as the Lava Lamp
Lava lamp
A lava lamp is a decorative novelty item that contains blobs of colored wax inside a glass vessel filled with clear liquid; the wax rises and falls as its density changes due to heating from a incandescent light bulb underneath the vessel. The appearance of the wax is suggestive of pāhoehoe lava,...
.
War Record
Craven was as a pilot in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, flying a DeHavilland Mosquito over Germany to take photographs from an unarmed plane. He met his first wife, Marjorie Bevan Jones, at an air base where she was with the WAAF
Women's Auxiliary Air Force
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force , whose members were invariably referred to as Waafs , was the female auxiliary of the Royal Air Force during World War II, established in 1939. At its peak strength, in 1943, WAAF numbers exceeded 180,000, with over 2,000 women enlisting per week.A Women's Royal Air...
. Craven continued flying after the war.
Genesis of Astro Lamp
After the war Craven developed an idea he saw in a country pub in Dorset, England. The pub had a contraption made by a regular, Alfred Dunnett, who had since departed, a one-off device which used two immiscible fluids as an egg timer. While it was rudimentary, Craven saw potential and set about perfecting it and turning into a lamp. He set up a lab in a small shed where he mixed ingredients in bottles of different shapes and sizes. He discovered one of the best containers was a Tree Top Orange Squash bottle and its shape defined the Astro Baby Lamp or Astro Mini as it was then called.The Astro Lamp Industry
Craven set up a company to produce the lamps, naming it Crestworth. Operating from small buildings on an industrial estate in PoolePoole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, Crestworth has supplied the world with lamps since 1963, changing its name to Mathmos in 1992 [1]. They were a big commercial success through the 1960s and early 1970s and became a symbolic of psychedelia. Craven said, "If you buy my lamp, you won't need drugs... I think it will always be popular. It is like the cycle of life. It grows, breaks up, falls down and then starts all over again".
In the late 1970s fashions moved on and lava lamps fell out of fashion. Craven Walker kept the company going throughout the 1980s but in a much smaller way.
Later Years
In the early 1990s, a young couple began manufacturing and selling them successfully. Cressida Granger and David Mulley approached Craven and took over running the company and renamed it MathmosMathmos
Mathmos is a British company that sells lighting products, most famously the lava lamp invented by its founder Edward Craven Walker. It is headquartered in its factory in Poole, Dorset.-Company History:...
in 1992. [1] Initially they were in partnership with Edward and Christine Craven Walker and the company was called Crestworth Trading Ltd. Over a period of years they bought out the Walkers bit by bit. They had the rights to produce Astro Lamps and continued to manufacture in the same location, using almost the same staff, machinery and even some of the 1960s components. Edward Craven Walker remained a consultant at Mathmos until his death helping particularly to improve the formula of the lamps.[2]
Naturism
Walker was a naturist, setting up his own camp at Matchams in HampshireHampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. It became one of the largest in the United Kingdom. Craven's passion created unrest in his life and was a contributory reason for his divorce from Marjorie, with whom he had 3 children. Craven married 4 times. Craven attempted to ban obese individuals from his naturist resort, arguing that obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
defied ideals based on a healthy spiritual and physical life.
Film Work
Craven combined film with naturism. In the 50s and 60s nudityNudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
in film was taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
but he evaded censors by not showing pubic hair
Pubic hair
Pubic hair is hair in the frontal genital area, the crotch, and sometimes at the top of the inside of the legs; these areas form the pubic region....
. As a result he became a pioneer in this genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
. Under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Michael Keatering, Craven directed the naturist film Travelling Light (1959). This was the first naturist film to receive public release in the UK. Described as an underwater ballet, it was shot off Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
and released in 1960. He later produced Sunswept (1961) and Eves on Skis (1963).
Death
Toward the end of the 1990s, Craven battled with cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. He died at Matchams in Ringwood, Hampshire and was buried in a small cemetery in the New Forest. He was 82.
Further reading
- Cinema Au Naturel: A History of Nudist Film by Mark StoreyMark StoreyMark Storey is a board member of the Naturist Action Committee and has testified at anti-nudity legislation hearings all over the United States....
. Published by Naturist Education Foundation (July 1, 2003)
External links
- CNN Obituary
- History of Lava Lamps Background story on the history of Craven Walker's invention at Oozing Goo.
- BBC.co.uk - The Mystique of the Lava Lamp
- Mathmos