Silk kites have existed for nearly 3000 years, and it’s known that paper kites existed as early as 589 AD. Recently found in a basement in Saint Louis, Missouri, these beautifully hand-crafted, hand screened paper kites are truly the last of their kind.

The Crunden-Martin Manufacturing Company in Saint Louis, Missouri was one of several kite manufacturers in the Midwest of the United States in the mid-20th Century. Unable to keep up with the video game culture of the 1980s, the company filed for bankruptcy in 1990 and was never to be heard from again. That is, until now.