Hans Snoek gets the first information about Arno Haft from an article in a newspaper. He starts researchs and find the adress of Arno Haft.
Hans Snoek meets Arno Haft for the first time. Later, two more visits follows.
Hans Snoek tries to find a museum, which would archive and present the kite of Arno Haft. Many letters are written, but without success.
Still no success in finding a museum. Hans Snoek asks the manager of a museum in Bremen to make a contact to the museum in Altona, near Hamburg. This museum is interested in the kites of Arno Haft.
Arno Haft hands over his kites and other items to the museum in Altona ( see also the article in Sport & Design Drachen 4/1995). But the promised exhibition will never happen.
During the preparation for the Historical Kite Workshop 2003 in Maschen Holm Struck calls Hans Snoek on the phone. Hans promises a lecture about "Arno Haft and his kites". He proposes also to borrow the Haft-Kites from the museum in Altona to present these to the participants of the workshop.
Holm Struck calls the museum in Altona for first time. He talks to an press officer and promises information about the Workshop.
The museum gets the infromation about the workshop via email. Holm Struck points out the handing over of the kites in 1995.
Repeated call to the museum. The employee remembers the conversation from July and promises to talk again to the responsible manager.
Repeated call to the museum. No one of the managers is able to reach. Holm Struck leaves his phone number and his email adress again.
Repeated call to the employee for press relation. He remembers the conversation and thinks that the responsible manager had contact to Holm Struck. He offers to ask the manager again.
Repeated call to the museum. An employee cannot understand the behaviour of her colleagues. She promises a fast answer.
Around two hours later Holm Struck gets a call from the director of the museum. In this 10 minute call it is getting clear, that there will be no support from the museum for the workshop in Maschen. The museum makes around 20 exhibitions a year, so that all employees are running to capacity. It is not possible to show consideration for an exhibition promised years ago.
Beginning of the Historical Kite Workshop in Maschen near Hamburg.
Hans Snoek does a very emotional lecture about Arno Haft and the kite scene in the 1950 and 1960 in Hamburg and around. Everybody can feel that this theme is very important to him.
A discussion follows abouth the next steps with "Arno Haft and his kites".
As a result, Holm Struck decides to call the museum again to see the kites.
Hans Snoek during his lecture in Maschen/Hamburg.
Repeated call to the museum. Again a conversation with the employee for press relation. First he must clear the competence. After five minutes he calls back. Responsible is an employee in the archive of the museum. But access to this area needs the permission from a manager. This can take one week.
Repeated call to the museum. Visiting of the kites is possible. Return call from the museum in the evening. Appointment is on May, 14th at 11 o'clock.
Call from the employee of the archiv. He would like to know which items shall be visited. Holm Struck gives a short descreption of the kites.
Call from the employee of the archiv. He has found the kites and prepared everything for visiting.
Holm Struck and Hans Snoek drive to the museum in Altona.
The employee of the archive goes with them to the first floor to a temporaryly unused room.
The kite bags of Arno Haft are lying on a table. Hans is nervous and starts to open the bags. You can expect that an experienced kite collector like Hans is very cool in situation like this. But the opposite is the fact. Both begins excited with the visiting of the kites.
The kites are ready for visiting.
Hans opens Arno's bags.
Things used by kitefliers 50 years ago.
To do the stocktaking and to take photos takes around four hours.
The conversation with the employee of the archive brings new perspectives for the future. Both sides recognizes the situation of the kites. They fell into oblivion after the handing over to the museum.
The museum concede an unreasonable behaviour regarding the kites. A better use would be desirable.
Holm Struck and Hans Snoek explain the function and the work of the "Drachenarchiv". They talk about the opportunity of a handing over of the kites to the "Drachenarchiv". There would be a better use in the wish of Arno Haft (e.g. Exhebition) conceivable. But a fast decision for this idea is not possible.
Hans with two of the Haft-Kites.
... this was a little success!
Call with the employee of the archive. A handing over of the kites to the "Drachenarchiv" is possible. An official written inquiry is necessary.
After consultation with Elke and Detlef Griese ("Drachenarchiv"), by their order, in their name and on their letter paper Holm Struck writes an official inquiry to the museum.
Holm Struck sends an inquiry for an handing over of the kites of Arno Haft to the museum.
Call with the employee of the archive. The handing over of the kites ist authorized. An appointment must be arranged.
Call with the employee of the archive. The handing over will be on June, 16th, 9:00h.
Holm Struck drives to the museum. With the employee of the archive he goes to the well-known empty exhibition room. Behind a closed "secret" door is a storrage room. The kites and the other things are stored in a box. Ten minutes later everything is loaded in the car and Holm Struck drives back to Bliedersdorf. The kites will stay here till the handing over to the "Drachenarchiv".
The kites at handing over in the museum.
At the beginning of the "Fanö-Classics" Holm Struck hands over the kites to the "Drachenarchiv". As a symbol he gives Detlef Griese the wooden kite ferry of Arno Haft.
The symbolical handing over to the "Drachenarchiv"
On Detlef Grieses initiative a group of kite enthusiasts comes together to talk about the Haft-kites and what can be done with these. Afer a short discussion the group decides to make an exhibiton of the whole collection in 2004 on Fanö. The "HochHinaus" (club magazin of DCD) will produce an extra issue. Alls costs be prepaid by the editorial office.
The members of the "Haft-Group" (Elke u. Detlef Griese, Dörthe u. Frank Schulz, Hans Snoek, Holm Struck und Ralf Maserski) come together in Bliedersdorf, to view the kites and all the other things of Arno Haft and to plan the exhibition.. They also talk about the articles for the extra issue of "HochHinaus".
First viewing of the complete collection in Bliedersdorf.
During the Historical Kite Workshop in Apeldoorn/NL the "Drachenarchiv" presents some kites of Arno Haft. For most of the participants it is the first time to see these kites.
Exhibition of some of the Haft-kites on the Historical Kite Workshop in Apeldoorn/NL.
The "Drachenarchiv" in corporation with the "Haft-Group" opens the "Arno-Haft-Exhibition" in the library of Nordby.
In the next days the exhibition has visitors from Denmark, Germany, England, Netherlands, USA, England and also from Newzealand.
Uwe Apel and Detlef Griese hold speeches for the opening.
Roloplan with kite ferry, camera and winch.
The original frame from the UFO-kite and the replica from Frank Schulz.
Arno Hafts kite bag
Content of the bag
Aerial photos, produced from Arno Haft with his kite ferry.
The documentaion about the handing over of the collection to the museum in Altona, 1995.
The extra issue of "HochHinaus" about the exhibition.
The "Drachenarchiv" presents the Haft-kites on the kite festival in Bebra-Iba/GER.
The "Drachenarchiv" presents the Haft-kites on the international kite festival in Swindon/GB.
The Haft-Exhibition in a museum hangar on the airfield in Wroughton.
The replica of the kite ferry.
Historical kites between historical airplanes.
The Haft-collection stays further in the "Drachenarchiv", managed by Elke and Detlef Griese.
If somebody is interested to present this collection in an exhibition or would like to research the kites he can ask the "Drachenarchiv" Drachenarchiv. With an appointment the kites are accessible.
For more information: www.drachen-ueber-hamburg.de
