May 2006

Newsletter, May '06,

Something old.

I've just gone and done something I haven't done for many many years:-

Bought a kite.

Not just any kite either, but a very old kite- possibly the oldest surviving anywhere, though it's actual origin date is not yet established, presuming it can be- and I haven't as yet made extensive enquiries as to what rivals for this title may be extant in a museum or collection somewhere.

However, over the last year or two, informal questioning of  kite history specialists in various countries has not yet suggested any challengers if in fact it's 'face value' date of 1753 or something within 50 years or so of this is eventually verified.

Very early kites are by their nature ephemeral things.

They were lightly made of impermanent materials (leaves, paper or fabric over lightweight bamboo or wooden frames), are easily damaged, were often made for seasonal use by children, and usually discarded soon after- or at best carelessly stored.

If trees and strong winds don't get them, neglect and diverse biological action soon does- one of my earliest kites was eaten by a horse for example- but that's another story.

That this particular old kite has survived in such excellent (probably even flyable) condition can best be described as it's having won a long odds lottery.

That it's not only lucky, but was clearly a very special kite to begin with, increases these odds to absurdity- maybe there's some sort of kite related anthropic factor at work.

It's a European "pear top",  625mm across by 930mm long plus tail, carefully made in paper over a wooden frame with rather intricate cut out and stuck on paper edging and face designs. It's tail is the traditional short folded rectangles of paper tied at intervals to a long string.

The frame comprises curved (heat bent?) side pieces and a central spine.  There is no cross spar.

The bridle is attached to the spine ends and has little slack in it.

It's flying line attachment point appears to be rather low to my eye.

What I know of this kite's recent provenance so far is that, about 1985, a person demolishing an old house in den Hague (Netherlands) gave it to Vlieger Op, (Gerard van der Loo's kite shop), where it lived thereafter; eventually in a glass case on the wall.  It's discoverer said it was found in a space between the floors.

Some people associated with Vlieger Op and kiteflying in den Hague during that time have yet to be interviewed, so more information about this may come to light.

On the lower left hand side, "1753" and the ornate letters "RB" are clearly written (just discernible in the attached Ben Ruhe photo) in what seems to be pencil.

The paper pieces used for the tail, or at least some of them, appear to be pages from a book- with archaic style type set printing, in Latin.

The decorations are intriguing;

In the top quarters;  six pointed 'Stars of David' embedded with something like a Celtic knot.

Across the centre; inward facing stags with as yet undeciphered blobs beneath them- dolphins?

Across the bottom; 8 dancing girls.

There is what seems to be an irregular 50mm diameter hole in the top centre left which appears to have been filled in by a backing paper-  which Nop Velhuizen has suggested may have been done for support and strengthening  by a museum that used this kite in an exhibition about 1990.

The date 1753 may or may not have something to do with the kite's construction date, but as a start point, seems not inconsistent with other design, material and constructional details. 

On the other hand, I have seen the same date "1753", prominently displayed on advertising billboards in Dutch railway stations during the last few weeks, commemorating some significant event no doubt.

In kite history, 1753 was the year during which DeRomas, a scientist from Nerac (Bordeaux, France) reproduced Franklin's electric kite experiment - with unfortunate consequences for the dog. He used a pear top kite.

Not wanting to spoil the fun I'm going to have sleuthing all these unknowns by rushing things, I haven't looked further into this or the initials "RB" as yet.

The imperative now is to get the kite out of the light, into a controlled humidity atmosphere,  and to start a professional conservation program as soon as possible.

Drachen Foundation have very kindly offered to organise this, and will also collate and publish, via website, such further information, dating (and conjecture no doubt) as comes in.

It is to be kept accessible for study and available for exhibition subject to conservation concerns.

A personal goal in this for me has been to keep it away from museums.  Justifying themselves by 'funding constraints', they have a tendency to lock historic kites and kite related items away out of sight and out of reach.  Understandably, but unacceptably, kites aren't as interesting to them as they are to us.

From another sense, this acquisition is a bit embarrassing; somewhere around the mid '70's I swore a personal oath (Elwyn remembers it as loud public and repeated), that I would NEVER again have any kite made of paper and sticks, committing myself from that day forward to the durability of  fibreglass and fabric. Oh well, just another turn of the wheel- who knows, next year I could move on to rainbow tie-dyeing- but don't bet on it!

Peter Lynn, Ashburton, May 4th '06