Frank Perham Photos

The MP² Research Group Staff Photos
Frank C. Perham

This is Frank Perham . . .

. . . need we explain more? Okay, we will!

Mr. Perham's passion in life is working in the field, visiting and mining at the pegmatites in Maine. He has been doing so since he was a boy, collecting with his father, Stanley Perham, who also mined and operated a mineral shop in West Paris, Maine. Once Frank graduated from High School, he went onto College and majored in geology, but returned to his home town area to pursue his interest in pegmatites in his own way.

For over 45 years, Frank has always found a way to be involved in mining and studying the pegmatites in Maine. His knowledge of the existing quarries, their geology and mineralogy, the pegmatite history of the area, and his involvement in all of the major finds (especially tourmaline) over the last 4 decades, has made Frank the leading expert in Maine on pegmatites. Here he is surprising the miner who is also in this pocket.

©Ray Sprague, 2004

The MP² Research Group first met Frank some years ago at The Maine Mineral Symposium in Augusta, Maine. After listening to one of our lectures presented that day, Frank said, "I have to meet those people!" Ever since that day, Frank has become a colleague, a contributor and good friend of our Group. His knowledge and experiences have added greatly to our own knowledge base, all of which has aimed us into new areas of research. It was with great satisfaction and joy that we asked Frank to join and become a member of the MP² Research Group.

In 2001, at the Maine Pegmatite Workshop, where he was also a faculty member for the Workshop, Frank Perham was formally inducted into the MP² Research Group by Skip Simmons.

©Ray Sprague, 2005

Frank's knowledge, experience and ability to explain the historical background of pegmatite mining in Maine, his actual hands-on experience at most of the pegmatite quarries there, his comprehensive knowledge of each mines special geology, structure and mineralogy is indespensible to any student, at any level of expertise. And there is nothing more Frank loves to do then to talk with people about it all, share his knowledge, theories and views.

Seen here at the Pusifer Quarry, Mount Apatite, Auburn, Maine, Frank is fielding a question during the Maine Pegmatite Workshop, 2004. Frank takes these occasions and questions seriously, fully realizing that the future of pegmatites world-wide rest with today's students and enthusiasts. He frankly loves to talk and teach pegmatites.

©Al Falster, 2004

In Maine, Frank is usually seen with his head in a hole. This is how many people get to know Frank. There is nothing he loves better then being in this position and has done this so many times in his life, he has become an expert in tight places. Some say it is his better side anyway!

If another miner just happens to find a major pocket in a pegmatite in Maine, somehow Frank is psychically connected to the event. For unexplained reasons, he appears out of no where and arrives at just the right moment. Whether he is telepathic or in touch with the Gods, he will show up. This gift has enabled Frank to be present at many of the important mineral finds of the last 45 years. This "gift" is no joke - every miner in Maine will tell you so!

	©Gary Freeman, 2004	©Ray Sprague, 2004
	Pockets are like magnetics to Frank and no matter how small, every one is important to him. Here he is at the Orchard Pit, Buckfield, Maine.	Here he is at the Tamminen Quarry, Greenwood, Maine, with pocket mud all over himself. You will always know it is Frank by his blue uniform.
	©Ray Sprague, 2004	New mining equipment is expensive, so Frank loves old mining equipment and making it work - no matter how old or broken it is. Some how he will get a machine to run. He has even been known to make his own engine parts out of plywood to make an old relic come back to life. He is your proverbial 'little boy with Big Toys' kind of guy. His particular favorite types of equipment are the ones you can sit-down-in and the riding type. At his age, hand tools have a limited amount of appeal for him!
		Frank has a habit of naming every piece of mining equipment he has ever owned and will fondly tell you about their abilities and reason for the names. Some of the ones from the past are "Chicken Little" and "King Tonka." We won't explain the name on this one!
Return to Faculty	©Ray Sprague, 2004
	©Ray Sprague, 2004	On the other hand, there is one piece of equipment Frank will find every excuse not to ride. He is forever "teaching" others how to drill by the hands on method! He is often heard to say to his students, "You don't quite have the hang of it yet, why don't you practice a little more - how about a six foot hole over here!" Some would think him an expert at 'delegating responsibilities!' He is an expert at getting out of the boring parts of mining at least!

	©Al Falster, 2004
	One of the quarries Frank has mined extensively is the Harvard Quarry, Greenwood, Maine. This is a view taken in 2003. Frank has had a love affair with this quarry since the 1960's, mining it often and recovering it's many intriguing minerals.

	Frank's Quick History On a serious note, Frank has a degree in Geology and although he never made a full time career with his education, he has used it all of his life, especially his passion for pegmatites in Maine. He has mined many of the known locations over the years and created many new ones. Either on his own or being hired for his expertise by those who were mining, Frank has been involved with pegmatites all of his life. No one alive has come close to his involvement with the mining community and major finds within his life time. We often think of him making a living by other means, so he can do what he loves - mining pegmatites. Below are just a few of the specimens Frank has collected over the decades, a small sample of his finds.
	One of Frank's finds at the Waisanen Quarry, Greenwood, Maine. Smoky Quartz, 1965.	©Ray Sprague, 2004
Return to Faculty
	Also from the Waisanen Quarry, Greenwood, Maine. Hydroxyl-Herderite Crystals, 1965.	©Ray Sprague, 2004
	From the Harvard Quarry, Greenwood, Maine. Fluor-Apatite Crystals, 2002.	©Ray Sprague, 2004
Return to Faculty
	Perhamite Named for Frank C. Perham in 1979 A Calcium Alumino Silico Phosphate mineral. This specimen is a record size from the Emmons Quarry, Greenwood, Maine and is in the museum at Perham's of West Paris. 9 mm diameter spheres	©Ray Sprague, 2004

Top	Return to Faculty

Last Updated: August 22, 2006
Webmaster: Raymond Sprague
For more E-Mail information & Inquiry: Maine Pegmatite Workshop
URL: http://homepage.mac.com/rasprague/PegShop
Copyright - ©2005 Raymond Sprague - All Rights Reserved of layout, design & revisions
Copyright - ©2005 Maine Pegmatite Workshop- All Rights Reserved of Name & Logo's