Authors: Ben Ruhe
Date Submitted: February 28, 2006
Article Type: Journal

Their sailboat burned, they took up kiteflying as a replacement aerodynamical sport, then they became interested in collecting kites and kite ephemera. Now, 20 years later, the Fischer family, of Vogelenzang, Holland—-Jan, Wilma and sons Martijn and Erwin—-preside over a huge trove of collectibles. Although difficult to count, the number of significant items is clearly in the many thousands.

They have a range of fine kites, of course, some made by family members, most of them purchased in travels to festivals across the globe; kites have taken them all over Europe, to the U.S., and to several countries in Asia. There are hundreds of kite-themed postage stamps. Posters, old European prints, and Japanese woodblock images are treasures, as are old and modern paintings. Printed matter ranges from scores of how-to and children’s books to newspaper articles and cartoons, from scholarly and personal journals to hundreds of magazine articles.

There are patents, bookplates, and photographs, some historically valuable. Also a wide range of memorabilia, from enameled kite pins and coins with kites to modern telephone cards, mostly Asian, with high tech, gorgeous images. There is a range of three-dimensional material, often souvenirs, such as small ceramic sculptures of kitefliers in action.

PDF Link: Journal Issue