Frank Dadd was born on the 28th March 1851 in London. He studied at the Royal College of Art and at the Royal Academy Schools, where he won a Silver medal for drawing from life. He commenced black and white work in about 1882 and worked as an illustrator for the Illustrated London News from 1878-1884 and then at The Graphic. He specialised in historical and genre paintings, and in addition illustrated several books including “All is not gold that glitters”, “The Flag Beer and Skittles”, “The Captain of the Troop”, “Follow the drum”, “Coaching days and Coaching ways”, and Baring Goulds “The Broom Squire” and “Types of the Army and Navy”. He was honoured to have his paintings chosen for exhibition at the Royal Academy from 1878. He was elected to the Royal Institute of Painters in Water-colours in 1884 and the Royal Institute of Oil Painters in 1888.
He lived at Wallington in Surrey and later at Teignmouth in Devon where he died on 7th March 1929.