[1] Three years older than Pfizer, Erhart had mastered the confectioner's trade in his native town, and their skills blended well for the new business they founded together in Brooklyn, New York, in 1849.
Awards came early to the partners—from the American Institute in 1867 and the Centennial Exposition of 1876 in Philadelphia—whose first product, santonin, neatly combined the skill of Erhart, the confectioner, with that of his cousin, the chemist.
The medicine, shaped like a candy cone, blended the bitter santonin with a sugar-cream confection to make it palatable.
Erhart maintained close ties with Germany, returning to his homeland both for social and business reasons.
Erhart's scientific and technical skills were instrumental in bringing about an expanded line of chemicals and a much larger manufacturing plant.