Francis E.

and Freeland O.

Stanley were identical twins with a technical bent, their Stanley Dry Plate Co., being famed for manufacture of photographic equipment, however they were fascinated at the end of the 19th Century by the rapid development of propelled transport, taking a particular interest in the steam engine.

During motoring's pioneer period, while battery-electrics were successful as a short-range town carriage and even shorter range speed-record breakers, steam and petrol cars were evenly matched in the duel to achieve commercial dominance.

The Stanley brothers built their first steam car in Lewiston, Maine, in 1887, however shot to fame in 1898 with a spectacular demonstration of a fragile steamer at Charles River Park which resulted in sufficient orders to establish manufacture on a firm footing in Watertown, near Boston.

The Stanley brothers sold their first successful design to J B Walker who manufactured the Stanley-designed Locomobile Steamer, however in 1902 an...