Jacob Kohn together with his son Josef Kohn founded the enterprise in 1849. Kohn would later rise to become one of the leading furniture makers in Austria-Hungary, becoming one of the leading competitors of Gebrüder Thonet. Kohn worked together with artists of the Wiener Werkstätte and Josef Hoffmann in the design of many pieces.

The Kohns’ received many awards and prices for their work. They received a Spanish Royal Warrant of Appointment as purveyors of the royal house (Proveedor de la Real Casa).[1]

Kohn’s works can be seen in a number of museum today, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Disseny Hub Barcelona.