Rather than limiting himself to the role of glass merchant, its founder Josef Lobmeyr, exclusive supplier to the Imperial court, invested and developed new designs and manufacturing techniques.

Expanding upon the traditional offerings from the 19th century, Lobmeyr’s successor Stefan Rath looked to the Wiener Werkstätte architects and artists for further inspiration in developing more progressive designs for service sets, decorative figures and glass chandeliers. In an era filled with mediocre copies and interpretations of earlier designs, the members of this artistic alliance, which was founded 1903 by Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser, strove to conceive and produce articles which complemented the daily requirements and activities of their users. This alliance remains current, however, thanks largely to the work of the firms like Lobmeyr, who have developed products in close collaboration with the Wiener Werkstätte.

The firm’s evolution, guided by Stefan Rath’s foresight in coupling the highest level of craft with innovative design, has resulted in the company’s continued success. This success is still celebrated today by the descendants of the Rath family, and is reflected in the numerous pieces which are included in such collections as the Museum of Modern Art, New York the Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna, and the Neue Galerie, New York.