Adams, born at 4 St Ann's Row in Newcastle, had his premises in Station Road, Whitley Bay. This was later transferred to his home in Beverley Park, Monkseaton. Before he married, he lived at what is now the Rex Hotel. In 1907, Adams was invited to record the departure of RMS Mauretania from the Tyne on her maiden voyage. He was also the official photographer for Newcastle United.
In April 1908, Adams drove with friends in his Darracq car to Wembley for the cup final, where Newcastle were playing Wolves (who won 3-1). On the way he encountered a snowstorm and had great trouble with the windscreen wipers in use at that time. Adamson decided to devise a more effective system and the modern windscreen wiper came into being. The first windscreen wiper in the world is now on display in the Newcastle Discovery Museum. Adams' drive was news in itself and the Darracq was displayed in an Oxford Street shop window for some time.
Adams was an aerial photographer during World War I and it was he who found the body of the German air ace, Baron Von Richthofen, the 'Red Baron', and helped to arrange the funeral.