Mathmos Model Catalogue

Scope and Organisation of the Catalogue

This catalogue documents known production variants of lava lamps manufactured under the Mathmos name and its predecessor brand, Crestworth, from the earliest commercially available units of the mid-1960s through to later decades of continuous production. Entries are organised primarily by model family and, within each family, by production period as established through physical markings, cap and base design changes, and corroborating auction and museum provenance records. It should be noted that the catalogue does not claim to be exhaustive; new variants are integrated as documentation is verified against multiple independent sources.

Each entry includes, where available: a model designation or working name, known date range of production, distinguishing physical characteristics, observed serial number or batch-code patterns, and provenance notes drawn from public auction records and institutional holdings. Entries are marked with a confidence level — Confirmed, Probable, or Provisional — reflecting the strength of available evidence. Provisional entries represent variants for which only a single documented example or partial physical record exists.

How Entries Are Structured

Each catalogue entry follows a standardised format developed to allow meaningful cross-comparison across production runs. The core fields are as follows:

• Model family — the overarching design lineage (e.g., Astro, Telstar, Lava Lite-derived variants produced under licence)
• Production period — an established or estimated date range, qualified where necessary
• Base and cap materials — noting transitions between aluminium, chrome-plated zinc alloy, and later plastic components
• Globe characteristics — glass type, known colour combinations, and any documented formula changes affecting fluid behaviour
• Markings and labels — underside stamps, foil labels, and printed base text, cross-referenced against the Serial Number & Marking Reference
• Provenance notes — specific auction appearances, museum accession references, or collector estates where documentation is available

Physical photographs accompany the majority of Confirmed entries. Where original photographs are unavailable, entries are held at Provisional status until visual documentation can be verified.

Dating and Identification Considerations

Mathmos production history is notable for its continuity — the same model family was produced across multiple decades — which makes superficial identification unreliable. Cap redesigns, label revisions, and changes to base moulding are among the most useful dating indicators, and these are discussed in detail in the companion guide Dating Production Runs by Physical Markings. The catalogue entries themselves flag known transitional periods where overlapping characteristics may appear on units produced within the same approximate year.

The Astro family, for instance, underwent at least three distinct cap profile changes between the late 1960s and the mid-1990s, and the globe glass composition was also revised during this period in ways that affect the observable viscosity behaviour of the wax. This is consistent with what is documented in several institutional examples held by design museums in the United Kingdom, where accession records provide year-specific acquisition dates that anchor the physical evidence.

Further evidence is provided by auction catalogue photographs from documented sales, several of which are cited directly within individual entries under the Provenance field. These records, consolidated in the Provenance & Auction Record Notes section, represent a secondary verification layer for contested datings.

Using This Catalogue Alongside Other Site Resources

The catalogue is most usefully consulted in conjunction with the Identifying Authentic Mathmos Models guide, which addresses questions of reproduction detection, and the Preservation-Grade vs. Interventionist Restoration guide for those assessing the conservation implications of any given unit. Readers uncertain about how to interpret marking conventions should consult the Serial Number & Marking Reference before drawing conclusions from catalogue entries alone.