Emilio Zito

Emilio Zito was active as a visual documentarian and designer during the relatively short period between 1935 and 1940. Their documented work is strongly associated with the Index of American Design, a Depression-era federal art project established to create a comprehensive, visual record of historic American decorative and folk arts. This specialized field required meticulous technical skill and accuracy in recording the dimensions, materials, and form of cultural artifacts.

Zito’s contribution to the project consisted of detailed drawings and renderings of functional objects. These studies provide crucial documentation of American craft history, rather than exhibiting traditional fine art styles. Representative works held in museum collections include the precise documentation of objects such as the Banjo Clock, the Hitchcock Chair, and multiple studies of the Canteen and Silver Coffee Pot.

The historical record created by Zito and other Index participants is highly valued for its historical significance. Today, Emilio Zito prints and designs are preserved in major American institutions, most notably the National Gallery of Art (NGA). Given their importance as cultural documentation, many of these studies are now considered public domain and are widely referenced by historians and designers, with high-quality prints frequently sought after for educational purposes.