Frank Adams Biography

Frank Adams established himself as a picture book illustrator in the early 1900s, with 'The Frog Who Would A-Wooing Go'. These, and later illustrations for Blackie, show the influence of London Sketch Club members, especially Cecil Aldin and John Hassall. Indeed, he would later collaborate with Hassall, among others, on The Golden Budget of Nursery Stories (circa 1930).

Adams also illustrated books for adults, including editions of classic poetry and prose, notably Isaac Walton’s The Compleat Angler (1930), Thomas Gray’s Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard (1931) and Matthew Arnold’s The Scholar Gypsy (1933). These include landscape sketches reflective of the watercolours and drawings he exhibited at Walker’s Gallery, London (1923-35).

Very little is known about Frank Adams.  There seems to be a general consensus that he is English and that his dates are 1871-1944, however there appears to be an American Frank Adams with these dates so these people may have been conflated.

There is a Frank Adams whose profession is listed as 'artist illustrator' on family history records - his birth date is 1874 but his death date is unclear.

Also unclear is whether illustrator Frank Adams is Frank Cecil Adams (1872-1952) who is listed as 'Commercial Artist' on family history records as the latter has a different birth date to illustrator Frank Adams. Frank Cecil Adams was married whereas Frank Adams illustrator appears to have been single in 1939.