Stanley brothers were two American inventors and manufacturers who built the Stanley steamer, one of the most famous steam-powered automobiles. The brothers were identical twins.
Francis Edgar Stanley (1849-1918) and Freelan Oscar Stanley (1849-1940) were born in Kingfield, Maine, on June 1, 1849. In 1884, they formed the Stanley Dry Plate Company to manufacture a formula that Francis had developed for use in dry-plate photography. They patented a dry-plate coating machine in 1886. In 1903, they sold their firm to the Eastman Kodak Company.
Meanwhile, the Stanleys were also experimenting with steam engines, and in 1897 they built the first Stanley steamer. They organized a company to produce and market the cars. In 1899, they sold the company and their manufacturing rights to a company that soon became the Locomobile Company of America. In 1901, the Stanleys bought back their manufacturing rights and formed the Stanley Motor Carriage Company. They then became active in automobile racing. In 1906, one of their cars traveled 128 miles (206 kilometers) per hour, thus becoming the first car to exceed the speed of 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) per minute.
Sales of steam cars declined as gasoline-powered automobiles, which were easier to start and operate, became increasingly popular. In 1917, the brothers retired and the Stanley Motor Carriage Company was reorganized under new management. Francis was killed in an automobile accident on July 31, 1918. The Stanley brothers’ company went bankrupt in 1924. Freelan died on Oct. 2, 1940.
