Penn Herb Co. Ltd.

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 available online format.

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!