John Stanley Coombe Beard [also known as Stanley Beard and as J. Stanley Beard] was born in Upper Norwood, Surrey, England on 17 July 1890 and was the son of Percy Edward Beard (1867-1931), a stockbroker, and Alice Maud Beard (née Pearson, 1869-1950). In the 1911 England census, his occupation was given as Architect, however, it is not known where or with whom he trained.
By 1913 Beard was in partnership with Alfred Douglas Clare (1889-1936) as J Stanley Beard & Clare. They remained in partnership until Clare's death in 1936. Beard then formed a new partnership with Walter Robert Francis Bennett (1904-1974) as J Stanley Beard & Bennett. Ralph Roland Wilkins (1913-1970) subsequently joined the partnership which was renamed J Stanley Beard Bennett Wilkins & Partners (later Beard Bennett Wilkins & Partners).
Beard was elected a Licentiate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (LRIBA) in 1925 and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1927.
During the 1950s Beard visited Argentina, South Africa and the USA.
His address was given as 15 Auckland Road, Croydon, Surrey in 1891; 4 Layer Gardens, Middlesex in 1911; Bank House, 52, Baker Street, London in 1923 and 1926; National Bank House, 101-3 Baker Street, London in 1929 and 1950; Valley Wood Place, Chertsey, Surrey in 1950 and 1951; and Compton Acres, Canford Cliffs, Bournemouth, Hampshire [now Dorset] in 1954 and 1960.
Following his retirement in the early 1950s Beard moved to Bournemouth Hampshire [now Dorset]. He died on 22 November 1970. His death was registered in Poole, Dorset
A biographical file on John Stanley Coombe Beard is availabe on request from the Enquiry Desk, Royal Institute of British Architects Library, London
Early in his career Beard began to specialise in the design of cinemas. Between 1913 and the late 1930s Beard and Clare designed over 25 cinemas, mainly in the London area. Among these were Palace, Kentish Town (1913); Majestic, Clapham (1914); Palace Theatre, Wandsworth (1920); Palmadium Cinema, Palmers Green (1920); St. James' Picture Theatre, Westminster (1922); Prince of Wales Cinema, Lewisham (1922); New Palladium, Shepherd's Bush (1923); Picture Playhouse, Gerrards Cross (1925); Walpole, Ealing (1925); Capitol Cinema, Walton-on-Thames (1927); Capitol, Forest Hill (1928–29); Royalty Cinema, North Kensington (1929); Luxor, Twickenham (1929); Golden Domes, Streatham (1929); Forum Theatre, Fulham (1930); New Palace Cinema, Kensal Rise (1931); Queens Cinema, Bayswater (1932); Morden Cinema, Morden (1932); Plaza, West Wickham (1933); Forum, Ealing (1934); Forum, Kentish Town (1934); Astoria Cinema, Ruislip (1934); Prince of Wales' Cinema, Paddington (1934); State Cinema, Dartford (1935); and Classic Cinema, Baker Street (1937).
Beard also designed private residences, offices, factories, hotels and other buildings. These included the National Cash Register factory in Dundee, Scotland, with Bennett (1946-47), and the Timex factory in Dundee, Scotland, with Bennett and Wilkins (1947)
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 1: A-K. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
‘Obituary’. Building vol. 219 27 November 1970 p. 58