Chansonetta Stanley Emmons was born in Maine and became interested in photography after her twin brothers, most noted for their invention of the Stanley Steamer automobile, contributed to developing and manufacturing the dry-plate printing process. After her marriage to James Emmons, her brother Freelan bought her a large home in the Ashmont Hill section of Dorchester. After the death of her husband in 1898, Chansonetta moved to Newton where she practiced photography to supplement the income her brothers provided throughout her lifetime. She gave lectures, contributed to camera-club exhibitions, and participated in various competitions. Her collection is owned by the Stanley Museum in Kingfield, Maine, and was on exhibit by the Maine Historical Society in 2022-2023. Many of her early photographs are of the Dorchester house on Harley Street.
