Francis Edgar Stanley

Francis Edgar Stanley (June 1, 1849 – July 31, 1918) was an American businessman and was the co-founder, along with his twin brother Freelan Oscar Stanley, of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company which built the Stanley Steamer.

Biography He and his twin brother, Freelan Oscar Stanley (otherwise known as Free, or more often Freelan) learned to carve violins as taught by their grandfather, Liberty Stanley, at the age of ten. He attended Western State Normal School, now known as the University of Maine at Farmington. While Freelan initially became a teacher, Francis took a different path, moving to Lewiston, Maine and opening a photography studio in 1874. Within a few years, the studio was one of the largest in New England, and his twin brother eventually joined him in the business. During that time, Francis patented the first photographic airbrush, which he used to colorize photos.