Francis Edgar Stanley

Lore & Background

Francis Edgar Stanley and his twin brother Freelan learned to carve violins from their grandfather, Liberty Stanley, at age ten. Francis attended Western State Normal School (now University of Maine at Farmington) and then moved to Lewiston, Maine, where he opened a photography studio in 1874. Within a few years, it became one of the largest in New England, and his brother eventually joined him. During this period, Francis patented an improved photographic airbrush, used to colorize photos.

Dissatisfied with the quality of dry plates then entering use, the brothers patented a machine for coating mass quantities of them and founded the Stanley Dry Plate Company in Watertown, Massachusetts (later moved to Rochester, New York after the sale). By the 1890s, the business had over $1 million in annual sales. They sold it to Eastman Kodak in 1904 for $500,000 and turned to automobile development.

In 1897, they founded the Stanley Motor Carriage Company in Newton, Massachusetts, and designed their first car that year, which became popular among wealthy enthusiasts. In 1906, a Stanley steam car called the 'Rocket' driven by Fred Marriott set a land speed record of 127.6 mph. Francis died in 1918 in Wenham, Massachusetts, when he drove his car into a woodpile while trying to avoid farm wagons traveling side by side.

Reader's Guide

Francis Edgar Stanley's significance lies in his dual impact on photography and early automotive engineering. His invention of the photographic airbrush and his dry-plate coating machine advanced commercial photography, and the sale of his dry plate company to George Eastman helped consolidate the photographic industry. As co-founder of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company, he helped popularize steam-powered automobiles at a time when the automotive industry was in its infancy. The Stanley Steamer became a symbol of early automotive innovation, and the 'Rocket' land speed record demonstrated the potential of steam technology. His death in a car accident underscores the risks of early motoring. The Stanley brothers' shift from photography to automobiles reflects the broader technological transitions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Their legacy endures in the history of both photography and steam cars.

Did You Know?

• Francis Edgar Stanley patented an improved photographic airbrush, which he used to colorize photos.
• The Stanley Dry Plate Company had over $1 million in annual sales by the 1890s.
• In 1906, Fred Marriott drove the Stanley Steamer 'Rocket' to a land speed record of 127.6 mph.