Frank Adams Biography

Frank Adams (1871-1944) established himself as a picture book illustrator in 1900, 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 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 from Sussex 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) from Surrey, who is listed as 'Commercial Artist' on family history records, as the latter has a different birth date from illustrator Frank Adams. Frank Cecil Adams was married, whereas Frank Adams illustrator, appears to have been single in 1939.

Illustrated by Frank Adams:-

Children's books

The Frog He Would A-Wooing Go (1900)
Little Jack Sprat 1904
The Frank Adams Book of Nursery Rhymes
Old Time Jingles (Blackie & Son Ltd)
Old Time Rhymes (Blackie & Son Ltd)
Three Old Favourites: the story of Jack Sprat, Tom the Piper and the Frog who would a-wooing go
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Blackie & Son 1912)
My Nursery Story Book (Blackie & Son Ltd c.1920)
Old Dame Trot and her Pig (Blackie & Son Ltd c.1920)
Sing a Song of Sixpence (Blackie & Son Ltd c.1920)
The Babes in the Wood c.1920
Hansel and Gretel 1925
Three Little Pigs (Blackie & Son Ltd 1928)
The Golden Budget of Nursery Stories (c.1930) (with John Hassall)
Old Mother Hubbard (Blackie & Son 1936)
Stories Jesus Told (Thomas Nelson 1950)
The Bible Picture Book (Thomas Nelson 1955)

Other books

Three Jolly Huntsmen by Jessie Pope (Dodge Publishing 1912)
The Compleat Angler by Isaac Walton (1930)
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray (1931)
The Scholar Gypsy by Matthew Arnold (1933)
Barbara in Brittany by E.A. Gillie
The Wolf Leader by Alexandre Dumas, tr. A.R. Allinson