History (1924-1962)
Since our founding in 1924
by Dr. Konstanty Kalkosinski,  much
effort has been put forth to provide our customers with
the herbal
formulations developed in his practice as a Naturopathic
physician. In the original Penn Herb Company store at
163 West Girard Avenue in Philadelphia, Dr. Kalkosinski
started to develop these formulas to fit the specific
needs of the patients he treated. Many of the herbs
for these formulas were grown and cultivated at the
Penn Herb Company Plantation and Experimental Station
located in Ottsville, Pennsylvania. After careful drying
and processing of the herbs, each formula was fine-tuned
and adjusted under the watchful eye of the doctor. Careful
records were kept to track each patient's progress.
As the business grew in the 1920's and 1930's, additional
formulas were added, and
Dr. Kalkosinski attracted a loyal following of patients
and customers. By 1939, the business had expanded to
a point that a new building
was needed.  As
the headline in the German Gazette, December 8, 1940
noted, "Expansion Made Necessary by Bigger Demand
for Their Fine Herbs." (Click picture for full
article) So, in December of 1940, Penn Herb Company
moved to 603 North Second Street in the historic Northern
Liberties section of Philadelphia, where our retail
store is still located today. Many of Dr. Kalkosinski's
herbal formulas are available today under the brand
Nature's
Wonderland.
Over the years we have endeavored
to keep our customers informed about new discoveries
and the latest information about herbs and natural
remedies. From early on, the Penn Herb Company Catalog
has been
a source of invaluable information on Medicinal Herbs
and related specialties. The issue shown here was
printed
in the 1930's, and contained 20 pages of herbs. Today,
the Penn
Herb Catalog is 64 pages, and is printed in full
color.
 Over
the years, postcards have been an efficient way of communicating
with our customers.  Back
in the 1930's, it cost a penny to mail a postcard, and
as you can imagine, the prices of herbs were quite different
than they are today! Here are some examples of our postcards
from the 1930's - click on the pictures for full-size
images. Check out those prices!
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