Lava lamp inventor dies in London

Lava lamp inventor Edward Craven Walker spent a decade perfecting his product, which he launched in 1963

LONDON (CNN) -- Inventor Edward Craven Walker once said, "If you buy my lamp, you won't need drugs."

Walker, who died Tuesday of cancer at age 82, was talking about that blob-filled symbol of psychedelia, the lava lamp.

Inspired by another kind of "blob light" that mixed oil and water, Walker decided the lamp would be more interesting if the oil were thick enough to form sculptural shapes. He spent a decade developing his "Astro lamp" before he began manufacturing it in 1963 from a factory in southern England.

By the 1970s, the lamp had become must-have furniture for the funky fashion-conscious. But the lamps' success faded in the 1980s, and Walker sold the rights to Mathmos, one of Britain's fastest-growing firms.

Walker, who flew reconnaissance missions for the Royal Air Force in World War II, also developed an interest in nudism and owned a nudist resort on the south coast of England.

But the Singapore native will be best remembered for his lava lamp, which he believed had staying power.

"I think it was always be popular," he said. "It's like the cycle of life. It grows, breaks up, falls down, and then starts all over again."

Correspondent Rym Brahimi and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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