In May The Drachen Foundation welcomed Walter Diem, who had reserved time
at the Study Center during an independent research trip to Seattle. Diem spent several days consulting the archive and discussing with DF Executive Director Ali Fujino "very valuable" contacts for volume two of his Drachen mit Geschichte: Historische Modelle zum Selberbauen. Diem anticipates descriptions and plans of historic kites by, among others, Eddy, Woglom, Conyne, Hargrave (plans published in Australia but not in western Europe or the USA), and Steiff (photographs of his experiments with many kites other than the Roloplan). As with the first volume (available now through the DF Online Store), Diem will research and write, and Werner Schmidt will construct the kites. This second volume will also be a "book on demand," available through a few kite stores, some book stores, and at kite festivals, but sold primarily through word of mouth, an effective if occasionally contentious channel for Diem. When he first met the historical kite maker, Falk Hilsenbek, Diem recalls, "he congratulated me on Geshichte, then immediately began pointing out all the errors."
While at the Study Center Diem also sought out additions for a new edition of his kite bibliography, Drachen-Literatur, which he intends to finish by the end of the year. He found primarily books in Japanese, which he will annotate with phonetic translations of titles. He was mildly disappointed not to find half a dozen recent books, for which he already has bibliographical information but was looking forward to holding in his hands (the titles may be purchased in future).
For all his industry, Diem is not especially sanguine about the current kite "scene." Ten or fifteen years ago, he says, interest was generally more robust, not limited to kiteboarders. Now the amount of shelf space in bookstores devoted to DIY kite making has "collapsed." In Germany, he says, there is an "emphatic crowd of older men" interested in historical kites, but kites are not part of the school curriculum nor are many kites displayed in museums.