Brazil Builds: Architecture New and Old 1652-1942 Philip Goodwin, Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1943. 200 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket. Important and rare: an exceptionally lavish MoMA catalogue with green and yellow decorated cloth binding and color plates. Goodwin, the New York architect, Noguchi patron, and MoMA founding father, spent months in Brazil researching 300 years of architectural history, from colonial churches and fazendas to the modernism of Niemeyer.—JZ
Oscar Niemeyer Stamo Papadaki, The Masters of World Architecture Series, George Braziller, New York, 1960. 127 pages, Hardcover.
Oscar Niemeyer and Brazilian Free-form Modernism David Underwood, George Braziller, New York, 1994. 125 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket. First edition.
Oscar Niemeyer and the Architecture of Brazil David Underwood, Rizzoli New York, 1994. 224 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket.
Tenreiro Soraia Cals, Icatu, Bolsa de Arte do Rio de Janeiro, 1998. 2233 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket. First edition, in slipcase. Superb, rare, and the only significant text on Joaquim Tenreiro.—JZ
Hugo França, R 20th Century, New York, 2003. Pamphlet.
Hugo França: The Story of the Tree, R 20th Century, New York, 2008. 80 pages, Hardcover. First edition.
Brazil Modern: The Rediscovery of Twentieth-Century Brazilian Furniture Aric Chen, R & Company, The Monacelli Press, New York, 2016. 303 pages, Hardcover. First edition.
Lina Bo Bardi Giancarlo Palanti Studio D’Arte Palma 1948-1951, Nilufar, Milan, 2018. 44 pages, Softcover. Extremely limited edition.
José Zanine Caldas Amanda Beatriz Palma de Carvalho, Lauro Cavalcanti, Maria Cecilia Loschiavo dos Santos, Olhares, São Paulo, R & Company, New York, 2019. 300 pages, Hardcover. First edition.
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.
