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camera, which was operated either by a clockwork mechanism or by an electric 
device. The usefulness of the photography in topographic mapping and its value 
for military work was also mentioned. A comprehensive account of the various 
existing kite systems was given by Captain Baden-Powell, who later also reported 
of his own experiences with his war kites during the South African war (Baden- 
Powell, 1898 and 1899; Lloyd and Thomas, 1978). 
Among the chief scientific uses of kites the following were included : 
meteorology, wireless telegraphy, traction, military reconnaissance and life 
saving missions (Rotch, 1901). Eddy and Woglom used kites for photography from 
a few hundred feet, with the intention of assisting ground surveys (Eddy, 1899; 
Lloyd and Thomas, 1978; Rotch, 1901). So far, however, no demonstration of the 
real capabilities and accuracy of the photography had been given. The development 
of kite design continued with the introduction of the tetrahedral kite (1903) by 
A.G.Bell and the experiments of Rev. J.M.Bacon and Saconney (Lloyd and Thomas, 
1918). In 1904 an international kite competition was held on the Sussex Downs. 
Several new kite designs took part including C.Brogden's six winged kite, S.F.Cody's 
winged box kite and S.H.R.Salmon's multiple-celled rhomboidal kite (Boys and Bruce, 
19043; Cody, 1905). At the same time the Wright brothers were conducting experiments 
with large kites and gliders, which would soon lead to the invention of the first 
aeroplane (Lloyd and Thomas, 1979). 
Only T.Scheimpflug seriously contemplated using kite photography in topographic 
mapping (Scheimpflug, 1904). He started his experiments in 1896 and, although he 
gained considerable experience with kite flying and taking photographs, he did not 
seem to be fully aware of its possibilities at the time. Interesting features of 
his experiments were, firstly, a specially modified camera to photograph a level 
bubble simultaneously with the object and, secondly, the fact that he was always 
positioning the camera inside the kite structure for obvious reasons. Kites and 
kite photography had the same destiny as balloons and balloon photography when the 
aeroplane took over. The experiments of C.R.Lawrence with kites carrying extremely 
heavy cameras are, however, reported (Thompson, 1966b). F.V.Thompson used a box 
shaped kite to obtain oblique photography over an area near Rainham, Kent in 1906 
(Atkinson, 1980). Also in 1913, a very simple kite supported photography system 
was reported (Gault, 1913). The box camera was hanging from the tether line and 
was operated by burning a punk which, sent up the line by a "traveller", in turn, 
released a band that was holding the shutter. O0.G.S.Crawford, who was subsequently 
appointed the first Archaeology Officer of Ordnance Survey (UK) and who made such 
a significant contribution to aerial archaeology, was impressed by the use of a 
box kite to get vertical photographs of sites while working on an excavation in 
the Sudan in 191à for Sir Henry Wellcome (Seymour, 1980). | 
Just as in the case of balloons and because of the lack of suitable instrument- 
ation and means for processing the data, kite photography remained photogrammetrical- 
"ly unexploited. It was some years after the second World War that it was again 
seriously considered (Laws, 1959). In the late sixties Whittlesey reported some 
experiments with cameras attached to a parafoil (Reeves, 1975b). In the 1967-68 
field season the Swiss archaeological expedition to Kellia, Lower Egypt, used 
kite photography for documentation purposes with very poor results (Private 
communication with D.Weidman). In 1971, R.C.Anderson employed with some success 
a box shaped kite supported system to record excavations in Cyprus. He resorted 
to kites because the winds in the area made the use of a balloon almost impossible 
and dangerous (Anderson, 1980). Later he developed a more sophisticated system 
employing a Jalbert airfoil and a pulley on the tether line to lower or raise the 
camera. This he used in archaeological sites in Syria with a high degree of 
success (Anderson, 1980). 
D.Dunford and J.A.Cochrane have developed two large kite photography systems 
(Cochrane, 1980). A single line one with a delta shaped plane kite and a twin 
line one involving the rhomboidal Dunford Flying Machine 2000 (Georgopoulos, 1981). 
Summarising,the advantages of the kite as a camera platform become apparent. 
Kites are cheap and easily available mechanisms. They are easy to fly and some of 
them are quite stable. They may not be as reliable as balloons, but they can be 
used in weather conditions under which balloons become almost useless. 
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