The Drachen Foundation publishes books and booklets about varied topics in kiting. Publications below are listed by date of issue, in reverse chronological order; each is available for purchase through the DF Online Store
Samuel Franklin Cody Pictorial, curated by Jean Roberts, 2005
This pictorial is the first monograph by the Drachen Foundation about the flamboyant life of Samuel Franklin Cody, whose kites and related artifacts represent the largest single holding of the DF Archive. The 80 black-and-white photographs-many published here for the first time-include professional portraits from Cody's acting days, snapshots of his family, and images of his innovative kites, gliders, airships, and successful powered flights. They come from several archives, including those of the Drachen Foundation and the extensive personal collection of Cody authority, Jean Roberts, who lives in one of the Cody family homes. Roberts has here set forth an accurate chronological account of Cody's life, one that should dispel many of the myths, created by Cody himself, that are still promoted today. Her detailed photo captions amount to a crash course in Cody's life.
Self-published by the Drachen Foundation; spiral-bound softcover, on diamond-white heavy stock.
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See also A Collection of Samuel Franklin Cody Postcards
Japanese Kite Prints: Selections from the Skinner Collection by John Stevenson, 2004
Flown in Japan for hundreds of years, kites were especially popular in the capital of Edo, now Tokyo, during the 18th and 19th centuries, when a vibrant and sophisticated urban culture developed. An Edo specialty was the production of color woodblock-printed pictures that drew on contemporary life-including kite flying-for their subject matter. A symbiotic relationship developed between Edo printers and kite makers: printers used images of kites in their designs, and kite makers copied woodblock-print designs to decorate their creations of bamboo, cloth, and paper.
Kite aficionados and lovers of Japanese art alike will be delighted by this lavishly produced study (oversize, 10" by 12"; 100 color illustrations, with 14 foldouts). John Stevenson, expert on the Japanese printmaker Yoshitoshi, offers a lively introduction about the role of kites in the daily life of Edo, then describes and analyzes 96 examples chosen from the kite print collection of Drachen Foundation Board president, Scott Skinner.
Published by the Drachen Foundation and distributed by University of Washington Press; hardcover.
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Khmer Kites, edited by Sim Sarak and Cheang Yarin, 2003
The first publication about a quintessential component of Cambodian culture, this study discusses 27 kinds of Khmer kites, with most attention to Cambodia's signature kite, the khleng ek. It also includes legends about the kites, brief biographies of kite makers, and methods and tools for kite making. Illustrated with detailed black-and-white drawings, and color photographs and drawings; introduced by DF Board president, Scott Skinner.
This publication is only part of the Drachen Foundation's support for efforts to revive Cambodian kite culture. Other activities have included photo documentation of the national kite collection and support for technical equipment and workshops to teach Cambodian kite making.
Published by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Kingdom of Cambodia, with support from the Drachen Foundation; softcover.
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Paper Kite Workshop, Zsennye, Hungary, 2003
This booklet documents an Austrian-Hungarian kite workshop conducted for a week in May for fourth-year students of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and the Hungarian University of Craft and Design. The workshop was led by kite artists Eveline Bischof, István Bodóczky, and Anna Rubin. The booklet includes Bodóczky's workshop diary, many color photographs of kites and kite making processes, and recommendations for how to organize art kite workshops. The publication should be of interest to those who appreciate art kites and to visual art teachers planning similar events
Self-published by the Drachen Foundation; softcover.
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See also the collection of art kite photographs, Artisti fra cielo e terra
Hidden Symmetry by István Bodóczky, 1999
This booklet features Bodóczky's discussion of asymmetry as "hidden symmetry," the uses of paper in kite making, and the artist's idiosyncratic approach to kite design ("Most of my recent kites are paintings on paper, stretched on bamboo frames. . I only consider the possibility of flying it as a kite if I am pleased with it as a painting. I believe if the work is good as an artwork, it will fly.") Liberally illustrated with black-and-white drawings and color photographs of the artist's kites; preface by DF Board president, Scott Skinner.
Self-published by the Drachen Foundation; printed in Hungary; softcover.
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Kites: Paper Wings Over Japan, edited by Scott Skinner and Ali Fujino, with contributions by Tal Streeter, Scott Skinner, Masaaki Modegi, and Tsutomu Hiroi, 1997
An invaluable survey of Japanese kites-history, images, and lore that have captured the imagination of kite fliers all over the world. The oversize format (8" x 13") affords plenty of room for photographs, in color (primarily) and black-and-white, of kites, kite making practices, and contemporary festivals. Tal Streeter reflects on how kite making traditions are being kept alive in Japan and Asia; Masaaki Modegi profiles early Japanese kites and kite makers; Tsutomu Hiroi chronicles Japanese kite history since World War II; Scott Skinner covers a variety of topics-Japanese kite anatomy, regional variations, kite art and folklore, and contemporary kite makers. Glossary; bibliography; appendices of festivals, museums, and kite associations.
This publication is a must-have for any kite enthusiast, and is especially useful for classroom teachers introducing students of any age to this vibrant, living tradition.
Published by arrangement with Thames & Hudson; softcover.
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From Kites To Wings: An Overview of Kites in Aviation History, curated by Jeff Cain, 1995
This small but stylish booklet profiles fourteen pioneers of aviation history: Baden-Powell, Bell, Cayley, Cody, Eddy, Hargrave, Jalbert, Lamson, Lecornu, Lilienthal, Pocock, Rogallo, and the Wrights. It also pictures cloisonné kite pins designed to symbolize each kite maker's contribution to the world's understanding of flight.
Self-published by the Drachen Foundation; softcover.
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See also the Historical Kite Pin Set, which includes all pioneer pins plus additional historic kites
1991 Kite Pin Invitational by Benjamin Ruhe and Ali Fujino, 1995
This booklet describes the mania for cloisonné kite pin collecting and documents a moment in that history, when Drachen commissioned a series of limited edition pins from 24 renowned kite makers. Each kite pin is pictured, along with a detailed profile and a full-page black-and-white photograph of its maker
Self-published by the Drachen Foundation; softcover
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See also Art Kite Pin Sets A, B, & C
The World on a String: What's New, Who's News in Kiting, curated by Scott Skinner, 1993
The biographical sketches assembled in this booklet were originally created for the World Kite Museum in Long Beach, Washington. They describe an eclectic group of kite makers; there is no overlap with the kite makers profiled in the 1991 Kite Pin Invitational booklet (above). Included are images of posters about each kite maker (displayed at Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Washington), with photographs of their kites and kite pins.
Self-published by the Drachen Foundation; softcover
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See also Art Kite Pin Sets A, B, & C |
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