04/29/2026
Franklin Paul Rogers entered the world on September 9, 1905, in Couches Creek, North Carolina. After losing his father at a young age, his family moved frequently between cotton mill towns, and by just 13 years old he was already working in the mills—long before child labor protections existed.
His introduction to tattooing came in 1926 at age 21, when he received his first piece from Chet Cain. By 1928, he had taken things into his own hands, ordering a tattoo kit by mail from E.J. Miller out of Norfolk, Virginia, and beginning his journey as a tattooer.
In the early 1930s, Rogers joined traveling shows, including the J.J. Page Show and later the John T. Rea Happyland Show. It was during this time on the carnival circuit that he met his wife, Helen. For years, the two split their lives between tattooing during the warmer months and returning to mill work in the off-season.
By 1942, Rogers established his first permanent shop in Charleston, South Carolina. The financial shift was significant—while mill work had earned him around $42 a week, tattooing brought in $150–$200 weekly. A few years later, in 1945, he began working alongside the highly respected Cap Coleman in Norfolk, Virginia, further cementing his place in the industry.
When tattooing was shut down in Norfolk in 1950, Rogers adapted, continuing to work throughout the South and Mid-Atlantic. He also played a key role in building the supply side of the industry, co-founding Spaulding and Rogers with Huck Spaulding, a mail-order company that would become widely influential.
By 1970, Rogers had settled in Jacksonville, Florida, where he focused on building tattoo machines through his business, the Iron Factory—referring to his machines simply as “irons.”
Later in life, Rogers suffered a stroke in 1988 and never fully recovered. The tattoo community rallied around him, releasing a benefit flash book in 1989 to help with medical costs. He passed away in 1990 at the age of 84, after more than five decades dedicated to tattooing. His personal collection was ultimately donated to the Tattoo Archive, preserving his legacy for future generations.
