Stanley Willis was born in Manchester in 1912. He left school at the age of 14 and went to work for S & J Watts in Manchester, eventually becoming a sales representative. During this time, he developed an interest in photography and taught himself the basic techniques of producing prints, and also how to make his own cameras. During the Second World War, Stanley joined the RAF and became a trainer in photography, including aerial work. After the War, he began work in the Publicity Department of Platt Brothers & Co. As an industrial photographer, his work took him to countries such as Malta, Italy and Nigeria. In 1954, Stanley moved to Saddleworth and began working freelance to provide publicity photographs for many local companies, including Platt Brothers. He retired from Platt Brothers sometime around 1970.

Platt Brothers & Co Ltd was the successor limited liability company to Platt Brothers and Company and operated from 1868-1982. Company founder Henry Platt established his first company in 1821. He formed a partnership with Elijah Hibbert in 1822, with the company name of Hibbert and Platt. Henry Platt's sons Joseph and John Platt joined the company and the name changed to Hibbert, Platt and Sons. In 1846, John Platt became the senior partner, following the deaths of his father and elder brother. In 1854, the Platt family bought out the Hibbert family interest in the company and formed Platt Brothers and Company and from 1868 traded as a limited liability company. Because of the Depression and subsequent downturn in trade during the 1930s a trading company was formed by a number of local textile machinery makers and resulted in the formation of the Textile Machinery Makers Ltd in 1931. Although they had merged, the companies continued to trade under their own names until 1970. The subsequent rationalisation resulted in a change of name to Platt UK Ltd.