136
136
Alvar Aalto monographs, six
Alvar Aalto monographs, six
bound printed paper
estimate: $300–500
result: $1,270
provenance: Collection of James Zemaitis
This work will ship from Chicago, Illinois.
Aalto: Architecture and Furniture, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, March 1938. 48 pages, Softcover with dustjacket. First and only edition, 3000 copies. An extraordinary copy of a surprisingly rare catalogue.—JZ Provenance: Devta Doolan, Deer Isle, Maine. Fine condition, the glassine wrapper has yellowed as expected but is in unusually good condition, otherwise an extraordinary copy of a surprisingly rare catalogue.
Alvar Aalto (The Masters of World Architecture Series) Frederick Gutheim, George Braziller, New York, 1960. 128 pages, Hardcover.
Alvar Aalto 1898-1976, The Museum of Finnish Architecture, Helsinki, Finland, 1978. 168 pages, Softcover. Exhibition catalogue; English language edition for the Cooper-Hewitt Museum
Sketches Alvar Aalto Goran Schildt, The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1978. 172 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket. First American edition of the English language translation. Provenance: Suzanne Frank, New York
Artek and the Aaltos: Creating a Modern World Nina Stritzler-Levine with Timo Riekko, Bard Graduate Center, New York with the Alvar Aalto Foundation, Helsinki, Finland, 2017. 695 pages, Softcover. First edition exhibition catalogue; book design by Irma Boom.
Alvar Aalto: Designer Alvar Aalto Foundation, Alvar Aalto Museum, Vaamala, Finland, 2005. 240 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket.
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.