Hans Harald Rath (1894–1988) was an Austrian glassware designer. He was born in Vienna.
Education
He studied art history in Munich.
Biography
In 1924, he entered the family firm Lobmeyr in Vienna, where he became chief designer in 1938.
After World War II, he played a crucial role in reviving the glass industry in Austria. His remarkable work earned him commissions to design chandeliers for various public buildings, theatres, and opera houses.
In 1966, the Metropolitan Opera House in New York and, in 1968, the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., installed pieces created by his son, Peter Rath.
Rath designed the 1952 Alpha and 1967 Montreal table crystal services produced by Lobmeyr.
After Hans Harald Rath died in 1968, his three sons, Harald Rath (b. Limpsfield, 1938), Peter Rath (b. Vienna, 1939), and Stefan Rath Jr. (b. Vienna, 1943), took over the firm. (Campbell, 2006)
Sources
Beyerle, T., & Hirschberger, K. (2013, March 4). A Century of Austrian Design. In 1900-2005. Birkhaüser.
Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing. https://amzn.to/3ElmSlL
Campbell, G. (2006, November 1). The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts. In Two-Volume Set. https://doi.org/10.1604/9780195189483