The Furniture and Sculpture of Wharton Esherick Museum of Contemporary Crafts of the American Craftsmen’s Council, Thistle Press, New Yok, NY, 1958. Paper folder containing one pocket with two pamphlets and eight photographs. Extremely rare. The museum’s first major solo exhibition of a living artist.—JZ The fragile folder is splitting along the crease. Otherwise, in near fine condition with minor soiling.
The Wendell Castle Book of Wood Lamination Wendell Castle and David Edman, Van Rostrand Reinhold Company, New York, 1980. 160 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket. First edition. The inside binding is dry and fragile. Otherwise, the book including the jacket is in fine condition.
Paley Castle Wildenhain, Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, 1979. 32 pages, Softcover. First edition.
Furniture by Wendell Castle Davira S. Taragin et al., Hudson Hills Press, New York, 1989. 144 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket. First edition.
Wharton Esherick 1887-1970 American Woodworker, Moderne Gallery, Philadelphia, 1996. 38 pages, Softcover. First edition.
The Furniture of Sam Maloof Jeremy Adamson, Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 1996. 270 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket. First edition. Signed and inscribed to the previous owner by Sam Maloof.
Autoplastic: Wendell Castle 1968-1973 Donald Albrecht, R 20th Century, New York, 2004. Softcover.
Wharton Esherick: The Journey of a Creative Mind Mansfield Bascom, Abrams, New York, 2010. 276 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket. First edition.
Collection Focus: David Ellsworth at RAM, Racine Art Museum, 2011. Softcover. Text by Lena Vigna.
Wendell Castle Wandering Forms: Works from 1959-1979 Alastair Gordon, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Gregory R. Miller & Co, 2012. 240 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket. First edition. Signed by Wendell Castle. Together with the exhibition pamphlet. Provenance: Acquired on opening night at the Aldrich, October 15, 2012, and signed by the artist at that time.
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.
