Miscellaneous information I've gathered about rain lamps.
Miscellaneous information I've gathered about rain lamps.
Rain lamps were invented by the late Darrell H. Johnson (1-6-06), who founded Johnson Enterprises [sic--Johnson Industries?].
In 1957, Darrel Johnson formed Johnson Industries in Los Angeles, California, a company that made rain lamps.
On October 9, 1962, Victor Chatten of Torrance, California, filed for a patent for his own rain lamps.
January 13, 1964, Victor Chatten filed for a patent for a rain lamp variation that had multiple suspended cylinders of filaments.
On May 23, 1965, Victor Chatten was granted patent #3,174,688 for which he had applied in 1962, called "Ornamental Device Using Liquid Droplets," which suggested rain lamp variations such as alternative weave patterns, nondroplet drip patterns, and bottom lighting. This patent number was used by Creators, Inc., which was a competitor of Johnson Industries.
October 19, 1965, Victor Chatten was granted patent #3,212,713 for which he had applied in 1964, called "Suspended Ornamental Device," for a type of rain lamp.
On July 26, 1967, Jack Balkin of Northridge, California, filed for a patent for his own rain lamps.
On August 5, 1967, Disneyland's attraction Adventure Thru Inner Space (12-24-05) opened, and the display area at the end of this ride contained a large floor-to-ceiling rain lamp. Therefore at least some rain lamps were definitely being made by 1967.
One Tiki Central forum member remembers a 20-foot rain lamp at the Sunshine Mall in Clearwater, Florida, which had plastic plants at the bottom and was lighted like a Christmas tree during Christmas season.
Jonas said a water curtain fountain in the shape of a lave net (i.e., Y-shaped) existed at the Palm Beach Mall in Florida. Jonas believes at least one other mall had a group of various sizes of floor-to-ceiling (35+ feet) oil rain lamps.
On July 29, 1968, Robert H. Scurlock filed for a patent for his own rain lamps.
On July 15, 1969, Jack Balkin was granted patent #3455509 for which he had applied in 1967, called simply "Fountain," for a type of rain lamp.
On August 22, 1969, Jamar Restaurant in La Mesa, California, had a tabletop rain lamp in operation inside the restaurant entrance.
On February 12, 1970, Jamar Restaurant in La Mesa, California, still had their tabletop rain lamp in operation.
On March 9, 1971, Robert H. Scurlock was granted patent #3,568,927 for which he had applied in 1968, called simply "Display Device," for a type of rain lamp.
On May 20, 1974, Ervin F. Johnston applied for a patent for his own rain lamps.
On July 16, 1974, Victor H. Chatten applied for another rain lamp patent, which had improvements on his earlier design.
In 1974, rain lamps were still being manufactured. The following rain lamp listed on eBay was stamped 1974, but had no visible manufacturer name.
On October 14, 1975, Victor H. Chatten was granted patent #3,912,166 for which he had applied in 1974, called "Ornamental Device Having Lines For Gravity Descent Of Liquid Droplets," for a type of rain lamp.
On January 6, 1976, Ervin F. Johnston was granted patent #3,930,334 for which he had applied in 1974, called "Hanging Apparatus For Falls And Hanging Plant," for a type of rain lamp.
In 1978, rain lamps were still being manufactured by Creators, Inc. The following rain lamp listed on eBay was stamped "CREATORS INC. 1978."
On February 20, 1979, rain lamps were still being manufactured by Creators, Inc. The following rain lamp listed on eBay was stamped "Feb. 20 1979, Creators Inc. Chicago ILL."
In 1981, according to Jonas, Sears carried rain lamps made by Crown Creative, stamped with a model number and "Sears, Roebuck & Co".
On September 9, 1985, Disneyland's attraction Adventure Thru Inner Space closed, thereby ending exposure to what was probably the most publically viewed rain lamp in history.
In 2002, the painter Shag (2-3-06), who painted a number of Disneyland attraction scenes like the Enchanted Tiki Room, painted a fairly well-known painting depicting a rain lamp as a detail.
On September 11, 2004, Darrell Johnson, the inventor of the rain lamp, died of cancer and kidney failure in San Diego, California, at the Balboa Naval Hospital.
As of 2006, new rain lamps are still being made by a few companies, though fewer in number and lower in variety than from the 1970s, and are available at major stores like Wal-Mart as well as lesser known online stores.
| 1968-1983: | Disneyland, at the end of the Adventure Thru Inner Space ride |
| 1969-1970: | Jamar Restaurant in La Mesa, San Diego County, California |
| 1975: | a used, hanging rain lamp in a pawn shop in downtown San Diego |
These dates suggest that the heyday for rain lamps was centered around 1969-1970, and that their popularity faded by the mid-1970s. Most people who were alive in the early 1970s tell me they remember seeing a number of rain lamps back then, and two different sources tell me that for some reason only grandmothers seem to own vintage rain lamps nowadays (e.g. Grandma Fern's rain lamp). However, like lava lamps, rain lamps are still being commercially made.
Rain lamps have become almost an icon of the 1960s-1970s, just like lava lamps and love beads, except that rain lamps were always less common than lava lamps. Many people don't remember the name of them (or never knew the name, in my case), but definitely remember having seen them once they hear the description. For example, see daymented comments (12-17-05), Old-House-Friends Forum (1-23-06).
Since Disneyland and Jamar Restaurant were great places for me in that '68-'70 era, rain lamps now carry positive associations for me. When I saw the Jamar model of rain lamp finally come up for sale on eBay, I bought it and became interested in finding out more about rain lamps in general, which led to this set of web pages.
There is a hidden collecting basin at the top of the lamp that distributes the oil to all the holes at once, and a hidden collecting basin at the bottom of the lamp that collects all the oil that has finished dripping down the strands. A hidden motor attached to the underside of the cage part of the lamp controls a small oil pump that extends into the oil in the bottom basin, and pumps it back to the top basin via a hidden tube inside one of the posts, in an endless circular cycle. The oil pump uses propeller-like blades to push the oil up the tube.
There is a simple mechanism to keep the oil in the top basin from overflowing. A hidden tube inside a second post carries any excess oil back to the bottom basin, like the overflow drain in a sink or bathtub. As long as the pump can pump the minimum amount of oil needed, the oil level in the top basin remains constant.
A third post contains hidden wires that power the bulb at the top of the lamp. Therefore all three posts have important functions other than merely physical support: (1) oil flow upwards, (2) oil flow downwards, (3) electricity flow. On a few rain lamps, these three posts/functions are grouped together into a single central post. Jonas reports seeing different models of rain lamps with 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 posts.
my rain lamp
tikiskip's rain lamp
TJ's rain lamp
Other cool types of lamps
Catalog listings of lamps
Lamps at the Smithsonian
If anybody has answers to these and/or would like to contribute to this page, please let me know.
Many people also mention that the mineral oil used in rain lamps turns rancid and begins to smell after some months, which I also found to be true. I also found a number of dead winged insects atop the holed tray on my lamp, which may have added to the odor. The usual solution for removing the odor is to drain the old oil completely, clean the oily parts of the lamp, and replace the oil. Possibly scents could be added around the lamp to disguise any oil odor, but it's been recommended not to add any scents to the oil itself.
| language | rain lamp (rain lamps) = | eBay link | eBay section |
|---|---|---|---|
| French |
lumière de pluie (lumières de pluie) |
http://www.ebay.fr/ (12-13-05) |
Maison, Jardin, Bricolage / Eclairage, Lumière |
| German |
Regenlampe (Regenlampen) (Regene Lampen) |
http://pages.ebay.de/ (12-13-05) |
Möbel & Wohnen / Lampen & Licht |
| Italian |
lampada da pioggia (lampade da pioggia) |
http://www.ebay.it/ (12-15-05) |
Casa, Arredamento e Bricolage / Illuminazione |
| Portuguese |
lâmpada de chuva (lâmpadas de chuva) |
http://lista.mercadolivre.com.br/ (12-18-05) |
Casa / Eletrodomésticos / Iluminação |
| Spanish |
lampara de lluvia (lamparas de lluvia) |
http://www.ebay.es/ (12-13-05) |
Casa y Jardín / Mobiliario / Iluminación |
| Swedish |
regnlampa (regnlampor) |
http://www.ebay.se/ (12-15-05) |
Hem & Hushåll / Möbler |
Grandma Fern's rain lamp (1-26-06)
This appears to be a Creators rain lamp.
The Family Room (1-26-06)
According to Jonas, this is the largest rain lamp made by Creators, Inc.
Bohemian Living Room (1-26-06)
According to Jonas, this is the table version of the Creators, Inc. Three Graces lamp,
with the upper decorated band added.
The International Guild of Lamp Researchers (1-26-06)
According to Jonas, this is the oriental-imported small white "Virgin Mary" lamp, not very old at all.
The International Guild of Lamp Researchers (12-4-05)
"The Rain Lamp" by artist Shag (12-4-05)
ATIS miscellaneous (12-4-05)
ATIS = Adventure Thru Inner Space
Darrell Johnson (12-5-05)
Darrell Johnson was the inventor of the rain lamp.
Old-House-Friends Forum (12-4-05)