Continental 4 legged lamp

[michelle R yoder]

Hello everyone! I am new here, I happened upon this site while looking for information on the lamp that I have. I now know it is a continental lamp, but I think mine must be a harder to find one. I got it at an auction about 4 or 5 years ago, and I knew that since it was candle powered, it was a rarer one, so I put it away,and forgot about it. i do have several other lamps, and I really enjoy watching them. The lamp that I have has the base with 4 legs. Does anyone know the correct name for it?

[michelle R yoder]

Glad I could help!

[michelle R yoder]

Well, DUH! I feel foolish! I looked inside of the box that this was in, and there was a Lava Lite instruction and Warranty flyer, and an instruction card inside, so I scanned the instruction card, so that you can see the picture of the lamp. It is the exact same one that I have, and is either the 3100, or 3200 model, I am not sure which. I am posting it so you can update your files further, Fog Rider!

[fog rider]

Thak you Michelle. I just sent you a "friend request". If you accept the request I'll be able to send you the document on the Consort line of lava lamps. I think you'll find it interesting. Cheers.

Craig

[medicated goo]

Hey Fog can you make that document available to other as well?

[Bryin]

Hey Michelle -

 

If you EVER decide to sell it, or wish to trade it for another lava, PLEASE let me know.  I am only missing 4 lava lamps so that I have a COMPLETE collection of vintage American lavas from the 1960's and 1970's, and that's definitely one of them!  I have 2 other lava lamps that are the only known examples to survive.  This would make an AMAZING addition to my collection. 

 

Congratulations and thanks for reading this!

[michelle R yoder]

Thanks, and no problem!

[fog rider]

I'd like to, but I can't figure out how to post a pdf or word document to the site. Does anybody know how to do this?

medicated goo said:

Hey Fog can you make that document available to other as well?

[Manix5]

Outstanding, I've never seen one of these before.  Never know what people have laying around in a closet.   Congrats on a great looking lamp. I see you have the manual, do you also have the original box?

[Manix5]

Hi fog.  I have an older copy of your consort history, but I would like to have the new one if you can send it to me.

Thanks,

Brad

fog rider said:

Thak you Michelle. I just sent you a "friend request". If you accept the request I'll be able to send you the document on the Consort line of lava lamps. I think you'll find it interesting. Cheers.

Craig

[Erin]

I'd like to have a copy for the Lava Library, if you're willing. 

fog rider said:

I'd like to, but I can't figure out how to post a pdf or word document to the site. Does anybody know how to do this?

medicated goo said:

Hey Fog can you make that document available to other as well?

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

Michelle, my jaw is on the floor. Here's the scoop: The non-electric model, introduced along with 13 other new and varied models in 1966, was both model 3100 and 3200. 3100 was the "Continental Gift Pak", a boxed set consisting of a complete lamp and two candles, with a silver finish. 3200 was the "Savoy Commercial Model", sold with bulk-packed candles to the restaurant industry etc., with a gold finish. Catalogs showed this model - always illustrations, never photos - looking like yours. In 1966, the standard models came in three color combinations: red "lava"/clear liquid, green "lava"/blue liquid, and "Champagne Mist" (cream "lava" in hazy pale-amber liquid). Catalogs stated that the glass candles came in three colors: red, green or yellow, matching the three liquid colors, respectively. None matching that illustration have been seen, EVER, until now. Yours is the orange "lava"/yellow liquid, the 4th 60s color, offered only after 1967 or so, so probably the rarest color this model could come in!

 

In 1967, catalogs showed a different form: the base now lacked fins and had a deeply-textured finish, looking a bit like a bottom-heavy pineapple, and the glass sat on a circular metal tray. Again, three glass colors were listed. None of this type have ever appeared.

 

'Round about late 1967, the style illustrated in catalogs changed again, to a glass globe the shape of yours, but which screwed into the metal collar at the top, and which sat in a metal tray. These were smooth, clear glass with a faux frosted coating, which often flakes off with age. Eventually, both models came in gold or silver, and later only in gold. Several of these have shown up and exist in various collections, all gold-finished, though I don't have one. The boxed sets we've seen contain one tray, one collar, one globe, two candles and, originally, a wire match extension in a plastic envelope. The candles were made to be used for a few hours, chucked in the trash and replaced, though collectors place an aluminum-cup "tea light" candle in the base. The globes used a special highly-sensitive formula, even more sensitive than the already extra-responsive formula used in electric models that took the same size globe, such as the Consort, Child's Night Lite, Meditation Series, Executive, and Princess (a wall-mounted sconce).

 

Please, tell us all about yours! Do you put a candle in it and use it? It really is beautiful - may we use the photos in the Lava Library, and can you send us shots of all of the brochure and of the box? And does yours have more than one glass candle cup with it, or room in the box for two? You have my complete, rapt attention! And yes, if you ever do sell it, Bryin is the one I agree should be given first chance at it. He's the person who could almost open a Lava Museum, having nearly every known model including extreme rarities and actually using and displaying almost all of them. But now that I know these actually exist, I can only hope that I, too, will find one someday...

[michelle R yoder]

Hi Jonas. unfortunately , this didn't come with it's orignal box. :( I have never lit it, as I am scared too! I don't want anything to happen to it, and I have had it packed away and just remembered that I even had it! This came with what is shown in my pictures, and another brochure. I will scan both sides of the card and all pages of the brochure as soon as I get a chance, hopefully sometime tomorrow, so keep watching! You are more than welcome to use the photos in the Lava Library if you wish. Thanks for all of the info. I am glad that I can solve a mystery for you on the exsistance of this lamp. Do you think that this is a proto-type maybe?