The Richard Mallory & The Lamar Dodd Rock Collections are one of the favorite collections in the Archives. After being in storage for many years, these stunning rocks, fossils, and petrified wood can now be viewed in the Lewis Library.
Lamar Dodd, the well-known and respected artist who grew up in the LaGrange area, used his rocks as inspiration for his paintings and their influence on his art can be seen. Not only the colors he used, but the textures are evident in his work. Although the collection is small, only 25-30 rocks, each one is a masterpiece in form, color, and texture.
Richard Mallory, a friend of the college, donated his rock collection in the 1970's and intended for it to be used as an instructional tool in the Earth Science Department. These rocks have been in storage since the 1970's and most faculty did not even know of their existence. The three amethyst geodes are the stars of the "rock" show and truly need to be seen on display to be appreciated. The top photograph is the interior of the geode.
Amethyst geode
 |
 |
|
Here are some helpful links to help you understand more about rocks, geodes, and the geology of earth.
http://www.mnh.si.edu/earth/main_frames.html
http://www.rocksandminerals.com/rockcycle.htm
Moh's Hardness Test to help with rock Identification
Beautiful photographs of amethyst crystals from Germany
Want to start your own collection?
pubs.usgs.gov/gip/collect1/collectgip.html
For a more esoteric rock connection, try this page.
A Geode Connection
Some rights reserved