The Stanley Brothers are charitably described as eccentric when it comes to automobile manufacturing, particularly in view of the advances being made by their contemporaries. Nowhere is this more evident than in their advertising and marketing. The Twins bragged that the never spent a dollar on advertising.1
When the Stanley Twins sold the Stanley Motor Carriage Company in 1917, the firm's advertising efforts changed. It added magazine advertisements and brochures and postcards to its efforts, but it was hampered both by its tiny advertising budget and the new managers' inexperience and ineptitued.
This is a modest accumulation of such items.
Non-Condensing Stanley Steam Cars
1898
The image of a very early Stanley Steam Car is dated February 15, 1920. The car is identified as an 1898.
The Dampfwagen von Stanley was profusely illustrated in Brockhaus' Conversations - Lexikon, about 1900.
This image is identified on its reverse as One of the early steam automobiles. Carol Miles and employer, Denver, Colo.
1907
This unnumbered page from The American Magazine-Advertising Supplement contains a partial list of electric and gasoline cars but a full list of steam cars that appeared in an unidentified automobile show prior to February 1907. In addition to Stanley, the Lane and the White were well represented.
1908
The Massachusetts Highway Commission issued this Certificate of Registration in 1908 for a Stanley Motor Carriage Co. Runabout, serial number 2396.
The Massachusetts Highway Commission issued this Certificate of Registration in 1908 for a Stanley Motor Carriage Co. Runabout, serial number 2396.
Mr. Floyd Clymer Dear Sir: Just a thought of old times. This photo is of the old Sheeps Head just above the Park Hotel at the junction of Big Thompson river & the North Fork. It has now [been] cut away to make room for the highway as is now. Carl is the driver. Passenger agent U.S. advertising National Park. Picture by Ester Osborn. Edward ____? Loveland Colorado.
This image was sent to Floyd Clymer.
1910
These two Stanley Motor Carriage Covers were mailed to the Norton Company in 1910 and 1913.
1912
This advertisement ran in an unidentified English magazine on July 23, 1912.
1913
These two cards feature the 1913 Model 810 Stanley Mountain Wagon that was used to transport tourists to and from Mirror Lake. The round rtip was $1.00 including the boat ride.[1]
Condensing Stanley Steam Cars
1916
This full page advertisement appeared on page 10 of a 1916 issue of Motor Life. The month is not known.
The Wesserunsett Garage Company advertised the New Stanley Kerosene Burning Condensing Steam Car in August 1916.
1917
The Stanley Motor Carriage Company placed this advertisement in The Saturday Evening Post on December 22, 1917. It appeared on page 2 and marked the company's 22nd year.
1918
The Stanley Motor Carriage Company placed this advertisement in Motor in January 1918. It appeared on page 241 and marked the company's 22nd year.
The Stanley Steam Car was featured in a review article of the New York [?] Auto Show in the February 1918 issue of Motor magazine, page 73.
This magazine article/advertisement appeared in April 1918. The reverse lists the Stanley as having had a booth at the Boston Auto Show.
This letter was mailed to Stanley Inquirers and came with a booklet promoting the cars. It is dated April 12, 1918.
This image is dated April 19, 1918 and shows America's first tank, powered by steam engines built by the Stanley Motor Car Company. Kit Foster's definitive book, The Stanley Steamer has additional information and illustrations on pp. 347, 348, and 349. This image is not found in Foster.
1919
The Perkins Sales Company, a Stanley Dealer, sent this letter to Mr. Quackenbush of Herkimer, NY with tickets to the Utica Auto show. A penciled note on the letter indicates that the tickets were not used, anecdotal evidence of the declining interest in steam automobiles.
Eckel's Garage was the Stanley Dealer in Washington, NJ. Earl Eckel was a pioneer in the early antique automobile hobby following World War II.
This unused Stanley Motor Carriage Company letterhead has two rhubarb recipes on the reverse. The officers listed include Frank Jay, the brother of the famous White Steam Car driver, Webb Jay, who is listed as Chief Executive with his previous title Vice President crossed out. This would date the letter head sometime between 1917 and 1920. In 1917, Jay was a Director of the newly sold company and by 1920 he was its president.1
This undated postcard illustrates A Model 735 Sedan.
This illustration was removed from a book. Someone dated it 1919, but the source is unknown.
1920
This envelope was mailed by the Stanley Motor Carriage Worcester, MA dealership. It is postmarked May 29, 1920.
The Stanley Motor Carriage Company advertised in the October 28, 1920 issue of Motor Age on page 109.
1921
This small advertisement appeared on page 147 of the January 6, 1921 issue of Motor Age.
This 1921 advertisement appeared in the English magazine, The Autocar and featured the tax issue after World War I.
1922
J. Earle Blades, the Philadelphia Branch Manager for the Stanley Motor Carriage Company, sent this letter and the follow up postcards to Allan Shepherd after Sherherd's visit to the Philadelphia auto show, probably in January 1922.
1923
This Indiana Motor Vehicle Certificate of Registration documents a 1919 Stanley, Model 736 Touring Car, serial number 18842.