People and Happenings
People and Happenings
Experts in the Field
By Meg L . Winslow , Curator of Historical Collections
Mount Auburn staff is fortunate to work with talented consultants Josh Craine of Daedalus , Inc ., and the Cassidy brothers of Cassidy Brothers Forge , Inc .
Daedalus , Inc ., Fine Art Conservators
Josh Craine and the staff at Daedalus , Inc ., Fine Art Conservators , of Watertown , are nationally known for providing high quality , ethical , and aesthetic conservation of objects . Josh ’ s father , Clifford , founded the business in 1989 and oversaw the Cemetery ’ s first monument conservation project in 1993 , treating the Bulfinch Urn on Bellwort Path .
Josh has worked with Mount Auburn ’ s preservation staff to oversee conservation of the Cemetery ’ s most significant monuments including the marble monument to Amos
Josh Craine , President of Daedalus , uses a laser to clean the carved marble .
Binney , the bronze statue of Nathaniel Bowditch , and most recently , the large , complex monument to William Frederick Harnden . “ I like the fact that I get to work with all these incredible objects ,” says Craine . “ I love the objects , I love the space , I love the fact that the Cemetery is so close . And I love the Cemetery staff because they are so invested — which makes the projects so much more rewarding .”
Outside of Mount Auburn , Josh has also worked on the sculptures of the U . S . Capital , the Benjamin Franklin statue at the State House , and the Brewer Fountain on Boston Common . Says Mount Auburn ’ s Vice President of Preservation & Facilities Gus Fraser , “ We are incredibly fortunate to be able to work closely with such an experienced conservator who is both capable and careful .”
“ I ’ m so proud of the team . One of the proudest looking fences and one of the proudest moments we ’ ve had .” Vin Cassidy
The Cassidy Brothers Forge , Inc .
Cassidy Brothers Forge , Inc ., recently restored Mount Auburn ’ s historic iron gates and perimeter fence along Mount Auburn Street . “ It was colossal ,” says supervisor Vin Cassidy . The Cemetery fence is “ the heaviest fence we ever worked on ,” explains Maurice Cassidy . “ Because of its massive size , heavy pickets and horizontal rails , the fence was assembled on site , piece by piece , which is very unusual .”
To restore the fence , Cassidy Brothers used traditional methods and 200-year-old blacksmith tools . They also applied modern techniques such as 3-D precision drawing on the computer and a high-tech painting system used by the U . S . Navy .
A family business based in Rowley , Mass ., Cassidy Brothers was started by Maurice in 1965 . They have been designing , manufacturing , and restoring fine wrought ironwork for 51 years . In addition to their work here , they have completed projects for the National Cathedral in Washington , DC , the Museum of Fine Arts , Boston , and U . S . Embassies in Singapore and Moscow . Today , the forge is run by three Cassidy brothers , who are proud of their reputation and passion for wrought iron .“ We take the time to do it right ,” explains Maurice .“ Virtually everything we do is under one roof to ensure quality control .”
Josh Craine inspects the Binney monument Vin Cassidy oversees reinstallation of the restored gate at the Mount Auburn Street Entrance .
18 | Sweet Auburn