A Good Read!
Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama was founded in 1854 as a coeducational liberal arts college by the United Methodist Church with a motto of "Enter to Grow in Wisdom, Go Forth to Apply Wisdom in Service". This point was made dearer recently with the generous gift of an outdoor reading room from the family of Madolyn Anderson Radney.
The “room”, placed at the approach to the entrance of the Houghton Memorial Library, is visually anchored by a larger-than-life size bronze sculpture of an open book cast by Robinson Iron. Engraved on the left page are the motto of the college and a quotation from 19th century English poet Martin Farquhar Tupper: “A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever.” Engraved on the right page are the College’s emblem and a dedication to Ms. Radney.
Madolyn is a former teacher married to prominent Southeast Attorney Tom Radney and mother and grandmother to an adoring family. She sits on the board of directors of The Adelia M. Russell Library in Alexander City, Alabama and has loved books and reading all her life. Surrounded by spacious brick walkways with four specially sited cast iron settees “The Open Book” sculpture is certain to become a favorite destination on campus.
Madolyn and Tom Radney with their family.
“The Open Book” sculpture is the centerpiece of the newly redeveloped entrance to the Houghton Memorial Library at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama.
The bronze received a dark chemical patina before being polished to a bright contrasting finish.
A multiple axis CNC router engraves the milled bronze surface.
Huntingdon’s school emblems take shape.
A coating of hot wax seals the surface.
Left Leaf
A cast iron base formed of four sides is welded together.
A sloping back on the base will position the book at the proper angle for viewing.
Right Leaf
An extremely small router bit insures the desired amount of detail.
