Staniland and Wells collaborated on several book illustration projects including The Three Admirals by William Henry Giles Kingston (Griffith & Farran.

[22] Houfe refers to him as the "Fleet Special Artist" of Illustrated London News.

[25][note 10] Staniland was living with his wife and his three unmarried children at 3 Hawkswood Crescent, in Chingford, Essex, at the time of the 1901 census.

Staniland died on 16 June 1916, at 134 Oxford Road, Acock's Green, Birmingham.

In the case of The Emigrant Ship, Staniland exhibited a watercolour The last Day in Old England at the RI in 1875.

The subject is well chosen as regards the position of the vessel, and there is a beautiful bit of dim smoky distance, so like London, and so cleverly done.

[29] Treuherz notes that among other social realist themes The Graphic publish several scenes of emigrants leaving by ship, with lively portrayals of both the excitement and pain of departure,[30]: 78  and cites this work by Staniland as an example.

[4] He contributed to a wide range of magazines including: In 1886 Staniland not only illustrated but also authored a two part account of the Lifeboats and Lifeboat-men of Great Britain.

The illustrations were made with line blocks from fine pen-drawings drawn in a manner that makes the picture look like wood-engravings.

[35] Houfe states that "Staniland’s strength was in marine illustrations where the ships and tackle were seen at close quarters and the working seaman was observed in large scale" and that "His many contributions to The Illustrated London News and The Graphic were a mainstay of those periodicals in the 1870s and 1880s, readers had practically to wipe the brine from their faces as they turned the pages.

[36] Houfe also stated that Staniland "was also an excellent portrait artist and painted still-life and bird subjects in watercolour.