Page 15 - visitorGuide

in place, with all exposed surfaces sandblasted to etch away the Portland cement.This treatment left
the aggregate pebbles in relief and brought out their individual tones and textures.

The gravel in the concrete came from the flood plain of Boulder Creek a short distance south of
the building. It consists of rock fragments torn from the giant mountains by glaciers, frost, running
water, and other mechanical weathering processes, then worn and rounded during their journey to
the plains via Boulder Creek and its tributaries.

Virtually all the rock types that make up the Colorado Front Range can be found in the walls. Nat-
urally, fragments of the harder and more durable rocks and minerals predominate—granite, gneiss,
quartz, chert, and the like. But it only takes a little looking to find specimens of red-brown shales
and sandstones of the Flatirons, of black obsidian glass from extinct volcanoes, and of ancient mica
schists that were once sediments and were squeezed and contorted very early in geologic history.
There are even a few minerals of copper and other ores to be seen in places, though we have yet
to find a nugget of gold. As if to prove that geology is up to date, there is at least one fragment of
man-made porcelain embedded in the lobby floor. Perhaps it was once a dish in some prospector’s
cabin in the early days of mining in Colorado.

Nature: The Original Artist

A few of our art objects—agate, petrified wood, and others—have been sawed and polished to
spotlight their natural beauty. Or, they were prepared for special purposes, such as the sandblasted
carving of the Society seal or the sundial. All of our natural sculptures, however, are truly formed by
nature.You see them just as they came from the earth, with all of the shaping, carving, and polishing
done by wind or running water, working with gravel, sand, or silt as natural tools.

Wall adornments throughout the building are not just decorative—they have stories to tell. For
example, the rock slabs with dinosaur tracks tell of the time when these mighty creatures ruled
the Earth, while the fossil fish from the Eocene Green River of Wyoming (outside the second floor
Council Room) remind us of the importance of the sea and marine life throughout geologic time.The
beautiful filigree of native copper on the Council Room wall affirms our appreciation of the mineral
resources of our planet.

One thing is sure: nestled in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, our building and its many
geological specimens and art objects tell a story of Earth in its ever-changing and awe-inspiring
glory.

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