• Daedalus, Inc., founded by Clifford Craine, is a private practice in art conservation formed in 1989 as an outgrowth of Dennis and Craine, Associates (1983 - 1989).
• Our practice is focused on the preservation of antiquities, sculpture, decorative arts, monuments, historic fountains, grave markers, cemetery monuments, and architectural ornament.
• Our staff of skilled conservators has extensive experience working with artifacts, monuments, and works of art in metals, stone, plaster, wood, ceramic, ivory, glass, and modern materials.
• As hands-on conservators, we have built a national reputation based on our ability to provide high quality, ethical, and aesthetically polished conservation of objects made from a wide range of materials and from diverse cultural traditions.
• We occupy over 3,000 square feet of well-equipped, secure studio, office and laboratory space just outside of Boston, in Watertown, MA. We provide conservation services to museums, cemeteries, corporate and private collections, galleries, municipalities and government agencies, and institutions throughout the United States.
The Daedalus Team
l to r: Gompo, Michael, Josh
Joshua Craine
Principal, Head of Conservation
Joshua has been working with Daedalus since 1995. He earned a degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and studied at the Universitia Lorenzo Di Medici in Florence, Italy. Joshua earned an Arc Welding Certificate at the Wentworth Institute, Boston, MA and a Laser Cleaning of Art Works Certificate at the Conservation Centre, National Museums of Liverpool, UK. Joshua is a certified installer of Jahn restoration mortars. He is a Professional Associate of the American Institute of Conservation.
Joshua has led the conservation efforts for the treatment of numerous monuments, sculptures, and historic objects, including the John Stark Monument in Manchester, NH, the World War Memorial in Pittsfield, MA, The Huey P. Long Memorial in Baton Rogue, LA, The Spirit of Life Memorial in Saratoga Springs, NY, the Ayer Mansion Mosaics in Boston, the Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth, NH, the Tomb Markers at Eliot Burying Ground in Roxbury, MA and the Ben Franklin Monument at Boston's Old City Hall.
He is currently treating the sculptures in the Statuary Hall Collection at the United States Capitol Building in Washington, DC and leading the team conserving the historic 18th century Old Boston Post Road mile markers.
Joshua has lectured on the conservation of 17th and 18th century slate grave markers from King’s Chapel Burying Ground in Boston at the annual meetings of the Association for Gravestone Studies and the Association for Preservation Technologies. His writing on the conservation of historic Bronze objects was published in the Boston Society of Landscape Architects field book.
Gompo Yarmolinsky
Project Manager, Sculpture and Architecture Conservation
Gompo began his career in conservation in his native Tibet. His earliest work was maintaining the one thousand year old buildings, sculptures, and architectural ornaments at the Deprung Gomang Monastic College. In 2011 Gompo began working at Daedalus and subsequently has led teams in a wide variety of conservation projects. These include: conservation of memorials and sculptures at Cambridge's historic Mt. Auburn Cemetery, the United States Capitol building, the Massachusetts State House, the Boston Public Garden and Yale University. Gompo specializes in the conservation of metals, painted surfaces, and masonry.
Michael "Mars" Marston
Conservation Technician
Michael began working for Daedalus in 2016. He has a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Northeastern University. Michael's experiences working to restore classic cars, in farm maintenance and as a bicycle mechanic has brought important new skills to the Daedalus team. His understanding of cultural norms has been invaluable in helping us form treatment plans that are sensitive to these traditions. Michael has worked on projects in the Boston Public Garden, Foxwoods Resort, and The Old Boston Post Road Mile Markers. Michael is the founder of the Daedalus Cyclocross race team.
Rich Brown
Project Manager, Fine Art, Antiquities, and Decorative Art Conservation
Rich began working for Daedalus in 2003. Rich is an accomplished sculptor and painter. At Daedalus, Rich oversees the fine art and small objects studio. He has treated artwork from numerous museum and private collections. He specializes in the repair of glass, ceramics, plaster and metals. Rich's careful eye, attention to fine details and thorough understanding of materials shows in his finished work and makes him a valued member of the conservation team.
Clifford Craine
Founder
1942-2016
Clifford began his conservation career in 1972 as an apprentice at the Conservation Services Laboratory of the Detroit Institute of Art. In 1976, he completed an internship at Harvard University’s Fogg Art Museum, in the Center for Conservation and Technical Studies. He remained at the Fogg for seven years as a conservator of objects and sculpture. In 1983 he founded Daedalus (formerly Dennis & Craine Associates.)
For 40 years Clifford pioneered techniques for conservation and became a nationally recognized leader in the field. He passed along his passion and skill set to the current staff at Daedalus, who use his knowledge and sage guidance daily as they practice their craft.
Nathaniel Bowditch MemorialThe Boston Atheneum Boston, MA | The Spirit of LifeSaratoga Springs, NY |
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Tercentenerary Plaque | |
The Spirit of LifeSaratoga Springs, NY | Memorial BridgeTreatment of Eagle in studio. |
DSC_0191 | Soldiers and Sailors MonumentGilding treatment |
Boston Post Road Mile Marker | |
Brewer FountainDuring TreatmentThe fountain was completely disassembled and brought to our studio for treatment. The treatment involved cleaning the fountain of accretions, corrosion, bird guano and degraded coating. The bronze was re- patinated to match the original coloration and coated. Missing parts were fabricated and attached to the bronze. The cast iron armature was cleaned of flaking rust and painted with an industrial paint system. |