At Home in Manhattan: Modern Decorative Arts, 1925 to the Depression Karen Davies, Yale University Art Gallery, 1983. 124 pages, Softcover. First and only edition. Signed and inscribed by the author. Forty years later, this catalogue remains as important as ever. The best selection of rare designs from private collections, with an essential bibliography.—JZ
Design in America: The Cranbrook Vision 1925-1950, Detroit Institute of Arts and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harry N. Abrams, New York, 1983. 352 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket. Essays by Robert Judson Clark, Martin Eidelberg, R. Craig Miller et al.
Brave New Worlds: America’s Futurist Vision The Mitchell Wolfson Collection of Decorative and Propaganda Arts, Miami-Dade Community College, 1984. 72 pages, Softcover. First edition, rare. The first catalogue of The Wolfsonian’s collection.—JZ
High Styles: Twentieth-Century American Design Lisa Phillips et al., Whitney Museum of Art, Summit Books, New York, 1985. 216 pages, Softcover.
Art Deco in America Eva Weber, Exeter Books, New York, 1985. 192 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket.
American Art Deco Alastair Duncan, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1986. 288 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket.
The Machine Age in America 1918-1941 Richard Guy Wilson, et al., The Brooklyn Museum, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1986. 376 pages, Softcover.
Visions of Tomorrow: New York and American Industrialization in the 1920s-1930s, organized and published by the Mainichi Newspapers, Tokyo and the International, Washington D.C., 1988. 214 pages, Softcover. Minor water damage to the back cover and pages.
Craft in the Machine Age: The History of Twentieth-Century American Craft 1920-1945 Janet Kardon, ed, American Craft Museum, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1995. 304 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket. First edition. An important book, notable for its illustrations of rare pieces. Kate Carmel’s chapter on furniture is my favorite entry.—JZ
Modern Furniture in Canada 1920 to 1970 Virginia Wright, University of Toronto Press, 1997. 208 pages, Softcover.
At the intersection of scholarship and connoisseurship lies Curated: The Design and Library of James Zemaitis—an offering that reflects a career spent exploring, documenting, and shaping the discourse around modern and contemporary design. This carefully assembled selection includes both a compelling group of design works and a rich library of publications that have guided and inspired James Zemaitis throughout his decades in the field.
As Director of Museum Relations at R & Company since 2016, James has played a central role in developing exhibitions and fostering institutional partnerships. His recent curatorial projects, including Born Too Tall: California Women Designers, Postwar to Postmodern, demonstrate a thoughtful and inclusive approach to design history. Prior to his time at R & Company, James held leadership positions at Sotheby’s and Phillips, producing over fifty design sales and helping shape the trajectory of the postwar and contemporary design market.
This collection reflects James’s deep engagement with the material and intellectual history of design. The included library—rich with foundational texts, rare catalogues, and scholarly references—provides a rare window into the ideas and research that have underpinned his work as a curator, advisor, and educator.
This auction brings together design and scholarship in a way that reflects a lifetime of passion and purpose. We are honored to invite collectors, curators, and enthusiasts alike to discover a collection shaped by insight, research, and enduring care.
