Rare “1935” Vintage Art & Humor Collector’s Book “DOGS” by Zito – First Edition

Books : Dogs : Illustration : Caricature : Art : Zito : Cartoon : Humor : Sketches : Animals

 

Here is a very funny and rare vintage “1935” first edition art book “DOGS” by Zito! The book opens with “Who is and what manner of man is this Zito, who does “DOGS” so artfully? We might tell you that his doing of DOGS is an escape from the sketching and caricaturing the world’s most beautiful women and the world’s most famous men. Internationalist, outstanding caricaturist, Zito’s craftsmanship has been acclaimed with honors and delight where the debonair gather”. Published by Wolfahrt Studios, New York, Copyright, 1935. The magnificent full page black & white illustrations will delight you at every turn. Each drawing is a collector’s item on its own.

Zito is the son of a famed architect, schooled at the famous Beaux Arts Academy and Royal beaux Arts in Rome; he completed a three year degree in six months. In Paris he worked at the famous “Shanley’s” doing caricatures, the first one of the “Prince of Wales”. He went on to Paris to the well known “Royal Box Club” and sketched Royalty and Stars. He traveled to Monte Carlo, Cannes, Vienna, London, St. Moritz, Cairo where Kings, Princesses, Maharajahs, Queens, Royalty of all Countries, Internationally famed Financiers, Politicians, Actresses, Society leaders from the capitols of the Globe … were all wanting to be “sketched” by Zito. He brought refreshing entertainment with his penciled wit.

The “dogs” began to appear on the corners of his illustrations…and always that dog evoked a laugh. They became animated, humanized, their lives and loves exposed in pencil. Everywhere, everyone wanted Zito to do a Dog! The demanding insistence of Zito’s wide circle of acquaintances brought forth the publishing of his famous gallery of “DOGS”. Here they are, in the “Kennel Portfolio” dogs of high ad low estate, with nothing immodest or impudent in their artful naturalness. Portrayed with rigorous ribaldry, these dogs, gallant and gay, are lovable and forgivable for their behavior or lack of it.

Some of dogs illustrated include Pomeranian, Bulldog, Cocker Spaniel, Sheepdog, Great Dane, Pekinese, Poodle, Dachshund, Schnauzer, Griffon, Chihuahua (we hope we named the breeds properly). Each of these illustrations is in this spiral presentation book so that you are free to choose which ones you would like to frame.

The book is a black velvet type softcover spiral bound with thick high quality stock paper, the cover on the inside is marbled with gold lines, and there are around 28 to 31 full-page black and white illustrations. The first page gives you the story behind “Zito” and the “Dogs” part of which we have quoted above. The book is in good vintage condition for its age. The cover has wear including a bite out of the top left corner and general wear including a few flea bites and chipping at the top of the cover and one big tear on the back. The pages are in nice condition, the blank endpapers some light yellowing around the edges – one page has a crease at the bottom corner which is not on the etching, a few pages have a light smudge at the bottom not on the illustrations. There is a tiny spot here and there on a couple of pages (one on the side but not on the illustration). The last three or four pages at the back have come off the spiral a couple of inches.

Item ID: BK650