twins francis e. stanley and freelan o. stanley were the co-inventors of the stanley steamer automobile. freelan was a teacher and high school principal. francis was also a teacher, but left teaching in 1874 to become a photographer. in 1885 they both left their jobs and started a company to make photographic plates for photographers. they sold their shop four years later when they moved to watertown, massachusetts. they started another photographic plate business, but sold it to eastman kodak in 1904. the brothers had become interested in making cars and wanted to do that full time.