In November 2009, I was included in an email that reported the discovery of a kite that was shaped like a bird. It was Mr. Bernhard Dingwerths from Kassel, Germany who sent out this email. He asked the receivers of this email: ”What should I do with it?” Bernard was directly aware of the fact that he found a unique kite, of which only a few are preserved.

ML: HOW DID YOU INITIALLY MEET HEATHER AND IVAN MORISON? CR: I was contacted by Ivan Morison in September of 2008. He also contacted Cameron Balloons. He was looking into the feasibility of flying either a hot air balloon or large kite, shaped like a meteor, that could be flown over the city for the Venice Biennale. WHAT STRUCK YOU ABOUT THEIR IDEAS THAT MADE YOU WANT TO COLLABORATE?

In 2001, Achim and Sabine Kinter, supported by Drachen Foundation, organized the 1st Historical Kite Workshop in Haltern, Germany. Since then, this event has taken place every year in Germany or in The Netherlands. It is always organized by different people without any kind of fixed structure or an elected committee. The 10th Historical Kite Workshop took place in Stade, a small town close to Hamburg, Germany, on April 23-25, 2010. The event was organized by Werner Luehmann, Ralf Maserski, and Holm Struck. FRIDAY

With their signature stacks of thirteen Hyperkites pulling 40’ long tails, The Bay Area Sundowners have the distinction of being one of the oldest and most entertaining kite flying teams in the world today.

Although kites are found on nearly every continent on earth, many countries’ kite traditions have been poorly documented. It is part of the Drachen Foundation’s mission to help research, document, and explore the kite world. For that reason Drachen has sent me into the field, whether to remote parts of the globe or to historic kite events, to record what I see. I have been to kite museums and festivals around the world, documenting, filming, and photographing.

The American Kitefliers Association (AKA) started in 1964 as one man in front of his typewriter, reflecting on the people and ideas of his beloved hobby – kites. Now a household name for American kiting, Bob Ingraham and a few other closet-kitefliers had been corresponding since the early 1960s, exchanging hand-drawn plans, kite tips, and generally taking part in each others’ lives with kites as the hub.

Here is a sampling of kite images from European and American sources, most from the early years of the 20th Century. I tried to choose images from children’s publications or from publications catering to young mothers. The images reinforce the notion that kite flying i s univer sal : there are images f rom Switzerland, Germany, France, England, and the United States. Notable illustrators, a man considered the father of the Sunday Comics, advertisers – all came to kites and their positive message

SCOTT SKINNER: ARE THESE IMAGES PART OF THE LIBRARY’S PERMANENT COLLECTION? WHY?

CURATORIAL STATEMENT BY ERIC FREDERICKSEN

One of the best aspects of the world of kiting is that it encompasses the world. Experiencing kites means you travel, or as we say, “go with the wind.” Over the years, we have had the pleasure of learning about kites of various countries and also meeting those special individuals who guide us through these kite encounters. Such is the case of Vijay Nathaniel, whose personal interest in the fighter kites of his country brought him to help with many of the wonderful Desert Kite Festivals orchestrated by his friend Ajay Prakash.