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Highly innovative, Alfred starts his new journey in 1907, exploring his other interests by opening a cigar and tobacco shop in London on Duke Street-31A. It would take three years for Dunhill to start his pipe manufacturing, in the meantime, he marketed third-party pipes (French and, lastly, [[Charatan]]). | Highly innovative, Alfred starts his new journey in 1907, exploring his other interests by opening a cigar and tobacco shop in London on Duke Street-31A. It would take three years for Dunhill to start his pipe manufacturing, in the meantime, he marketed third-party pipes (French and, lastly, [[Charatan]]). | ||
Alfred did not know much about the tobacco business but was learning as he dealt with his clients. Of keen sensitivity, he soon realized that most of the pipes available on the market were of low quality and that he could market better quality products at twice the price. In the early days Alfred faced some financial problems, like most traders at the beginning of their ventures. His tobacco shop wasn't the only one in the area. There was strong competition, but his competitors lacked quality offerings. Alfred exploited this market deficiency, establishing a new standard of quality and service. | Alfred did not know much about the tobacco business but was learning as he dealt with his clients. Of keen sensitivity, he soon realized that most of the pipes available on the market were of low quality and that he could market better quality products at twice the price. In the early days, Alfred faced some financial problems, like most traders at the beginning of their ventures. His tobacco shop wasn't the only one in the area. There was strong competition, but his competitors lacked quality offerings. Alfred exploited this market deficiency, establishing a new standard of quality and service. | ||
At first, the focus was on tobaccos. As he | At first, the focus was on tobaccos. As he defined in his first catalog, published in 1910, called "About Smoke ", he was an expert in making blends, which he exhibited prominently in his entry window: "Tobacco specialist". Alfred Dunhill was a born merchant, and when he opened his first tobacco shop, he knew exactly where he wanted it to go. | ||
In the following images - probably taken by Alfred, we have his three assistants (Bill Carter on the left, Mr. Jelley and Mr. McEwan) with whom he shared the tasks. He used to go to the store every day in the afternoon. The second color image (the third in order), is part of Dunhill's Centennial commemoration Set of 2007. | In the following images - probably taken by Alfred, we have his three assistants (Bill Carter on the left, Mr. Jelley and Mr. McEwan) with whom he shared the tasks. He used to go to the store every day in the afternoon. The second color image (the third in order), is part of Dunhill's Centennial commemoration Set of 2007. | ||
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[[File:Ef.png|thumb|right|210px| Enquiry Form]] | [[File:Ef.png|thumb|right|210px| Enquiry Form]] | ||
[[File:Admm.jpg|thumb|right|210px|Alfred making a mixture]] | [[File:Admm.jpg|thumb|right|210px|Alfred making a mixture]] | ||
According to Balfour in: "Alfred Dunhill One Hundred Years And More", initially the Tobaccos were obtained from George Dobie & Sons, a manufacturer of blends located in Paisley, west of the Midland Valley in Scotland and also of some cooperatives producing Tobacco. Creating blends is more than just mixing sheets in different proportions. There are techniques to develop a mixture, for example cooking, roasting, pressing, mattering, etc. and can hardly be made at the shop counter. After five years, in 1912, his youngest brother, Herbert Edward Dunhill (1884-1950), joins the business. He was an insightful merchant and is soon ahead of the company's financial issues (a function he exercises until his death in 1950), allowing Alfred to give his creativity to the development of new products. | According to Balfour in: "Alfred Dunhill One Hundred Years And More", initially the Tobaccos were obtained from George Dobie & Sons, a manufacturer of blends located in Paisley, west of the Midland Valley in Scotland and also of some cooperatives producing Tobacco. Creating blends is more than just mixing sheets in different proportions. There are techniques to develop a mixture, for example, cooking, roasting, pressing, mattering, etc. and can hardly be made at the shop counter. After five years, in 1912, his youngest brother, Herbert Edward Dunhill (1884-1950), joins the business. He was an insightful merchant and is soon ahead of the company's financial issues (a function he exercises until his death in 1950), allowing Alfred to give his creativity to the development of new products. | ||
Alfred was restless and always wanted to hone his products, taking him (in 1912) to leave the blends tailored in the background. This was when Alfred presented his own mixtures "in-house", they were: the "Royal Yacht" (Virginia), "Cuba" (Cigar Leaf) and "Durbar" (Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia). Products acclaimed up to the present day. | Alfred was restless and always wanted to hone his products, taking him (in 1912) to leave the blends tailored in the background. This was when Alfred presented his own mixtures "in-house", they were: the "Royal Yacht" (Virginia), "Cuba" (Cigar Leaf) and "Durbar" (Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia). Products acclaimed up to the present day. | ||
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<blockquote>"During the years we lived in Harrow before the First World War, I was too young to take in much about the new business. Nor did Father later say very much about his hard times; I think he preferred to forget them. So I have gathered many of my impressions about his activities at that time from a jovial man called Bill Carter who, having been taken on with the other two members of the staff as a boy of fourteen, looked back on those days with the pride of a pioneer. As a senior member of the Duke Street sales staff in later years, Bill Carter had formed lasting relationships with almost everyone he had ever served, from Indian princes and royalty to the customers who bought cigars one at a time. He even became persona grata at 10, Downing Street during the last war because it was his business to ensure that Winston Churchill was well supplied with his favorite cigars, often a conspicuous part of his V for Victory salute. Even so, I’m certain that this kindly, cheerful man, even in his sixties, still thought the most exciting moment in his life was the day he persuaded Father to take him on at a wage of nine shillings a week. | <blockquote>"During the years we lived in Harrow before the First World War, I was too young to take in much about the new business. Nor did Father later say very much about his hard times; I think he preferred to forget them. So I have gathered many of my impressions about his activities at that time from a jovial man called Bill Carter who, having been taken on with the other two members of the staff as a boy of fourteen, looked back on those days with the pride of a pioneer. As a senior member of the Duke Street sales staff in later years, Bill Carter had formed lasting relationships with almost everyone he had ever served, from Indian princes and royalty to the customers who bought cigars one at a time. He even became persona grata at 10, Downing Street during the last war because it was his business to ensure that Winston Churchill was well supplied with his favorite cigars, often a conspicuous part of his V for Victory salute. Even so, I’m certain that this kindly, cheerful man, even in his sixties, still thought the most exciting moment in his life was the day he persuaded Father to take him on at a wage of nine shillings a week. | ||
[[File:Billcarter.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Bill Carter © Alfred Dunhill Ltd]] | [[File:Billcarter.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Bill Carter © Alfred Dunhill Ltd]] | ||
And how Bill Carter had to work for those twenty-three pounds a year. All day he was occupied in tidying, polishing, everlastingly putting pipes back in their mahogany cabinets, answering the telephone, sweeping up every shred of tobacco that fell onto the green carpet, dressing the window after closing time, presenting himself punctually every morning with polished shoes and a clean collar. If he was shouted for, he dropped whatever he was doing and ran. Yes, ran, for Bill Carter spent half his life on the run. Something of an athlete in his youth, he would leave his home in Wandsworth in the early hours of the morning and jog-trot the three and a half miles to Duke Street, returning by the same means at night. If there were parcels of cigarettes and cigars for delivery, as there usually were, he would put the penny he was given for the horse-bus into his pocket and start running towards Regent’s Park or Kensington or wherever he had to go. Nor did Father ever ask him for his penny back. He must have thought his delivery service cheap at the price. | And how Bill Carter had to work for those twenty-three pounds a year. All-day he was occupied in tidying, polishing, everlastingly putting pipes back in their mahogany cabinets, answering the telephone, sweeping up every shred of tobacco that fell onto the green carpet, dressing the window after closing time, presenting himself punctually every morning with polished shoes and a clean collar. If he was shouted for, he dropped whatever he was doing and ran. Yes, ran, for Bill Carter spent half his life on the run. Something of an athlete in his youth, he would leave his home in Wandsworth in the early hours of the morning and jog-trot the three and a half miles to Duke Street, returning by the same means at night. If there were parcels of cigarettes and cigars for delivery, as there usually were, he would put the penny he was given for the horse-bus into his pocket and start running towards Regent’s Park or Kensington or wherever he had to go. Nor did Father ever ask him for his penny back. He must have thought his delivery service cheap at the price. | ||
What Father didn’t reckon with was the long-term credit most of his well-to-do customers took for granted. For if, as Bill Carter explained, every item of merchandise in the shop had to carry a tag to save customers the embarrassment of having to ask the price, what would have been their reaction if confronted with an account simply because it had been unpaid for several months? Father knew only too well. If tailors and other West End merchants could somehow arrange their business so that impertinent requests of this sort didn’t have to be made, why not a struggling tobacconist? Of this situation all too many customers took advantage with the result that Father extended their credit far beyond the limits of his own. | What Father didn’t reckon with was the long-term credit most of his well-to-do customers took for granted. For if, as Bill Carter explained, every item of merchandise in the shop had to carry a tag to save customers the embarrassment of having to ask the price, what would have been their reaction if confronted with an account simply because it had been unpaid for several months? Father knew only too well. If tailors and other West End merchants could somehow arrange their business so that impertinent requests of this sort didn’t have to be made, why not a struggling tobacconist? Of this situation all too many customers took advantage with the result that Father extended their credit far beyond the limits of his own. | ||
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Dunhill Pipes are now prized collector pieces and the most famous pipes in the world. Alfred envisioned the Dunhill Pipe to be something special, a pipe to be coveted for its quality, sophistication, and refinement. Alfred Dunhill’s vision continues today. To | Dunhill Pipes are now prized collector pieces and the most famous pipes in the world. Alfred envisioned the Dunhill Pipe to be something special, a pipe to be coveted for its quality, sophistication, and refinement. Alfred Dunhill’s vision continues today. To smoke a Dunhill is to experience this tradition, a tradition of excellence that is perhaps the greatest in the world of pipes." Smokingpipes.com[http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/dunhill/history.cfm] | ||
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