Dunhill was founded in London on 10 March 1907 and tobacconist and inventor Alfred Dunhill opened a small tobacconist's shop on Duke Street in the St James's area. He offered blends tailored for the individual customer. Dunhill was introduced in 1908 and was less than glamorously, called the Absorbable. It was designed to counter any perceived health risk and had a world-first cotton wool filter tip. Dunhill cigarettes had a royal warrant from 1927 until 1995. In 1939 the brand was introduced in the United States by Philip Morris USA who leased the marketing rights for the U.S. and in 1962, Dunhill International was introduced. Alfred Dunhill is a British design house specializing in men's clothing, luxury goods and accessories. The business began when Alfred Dunhill, just 21 years of age, took over his father's saddlery business, in 1893. The automobile was an exciting new piece of technology being developed at the time, and Dunhill transformed the saddlery into an automobile accessories store.