Italy at Work: Her Renaissance in Design Today Meyric Rogers, The Compagnia Nazionale Artigiana, Rome, 1950. 125 pages, Softcover. First edition, rare. This legendary and influential exhibition traveled to a dozen American museums, most prominently Brooklyn Museum, which acquired masterworks by Carlo Mollino and Gio Ponti from the Italian Government at the end of the show. Emphasis on both craft and design, from Paolo Venini to Richard Blow.—JZ
Pier Luigi Nervi Ada Louise Huxtable, Masters of World Architecture Series, George Braziller, Inc., New York, 1960. 128 pages, Hardcover.
Design Quarterly 69/70. The Expression of Gio Ponti Nathan H. Shapira, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, 1967. 72 pages, Softcover.
The Adventure of Design: Gavina Virgilio Vercelloni, Rizzoli, New York, 1989. 220 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket.
Joe Colombo Retrospective Exhibition, New York School of Interior Design, 1996. 18 pages. Exhibition pamphlet.
Fornasetti: Designer of Dreams Patrick Mauriès, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Thames and Hudson, 1991. 288 pages, Softcover.
Important Design: The Life of Piero Fornasetti, Christie’s Los Angeles, 05/16/1998. Softcover. The Collection of Barnaba Fornasetti, catalogued by me early in my career.—JZ
Design Directory Italy Claudia Neumann, Universe Publishing, New York, 1999. 384 pages, Softcover. First edition.
Gio Ponti: A Metaphysical World. David Sherer and Brian Kish, Queens Museum of Art, New York, 2007.
Angelo Mangiarotti: Matter and Sense Ugo Alfano Casati, Wright Chicago, Chicago, 2007. 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.
