Franklin Paul Rogers

Born in a cotton mill town in North Carolina, Rogers began working in the mills at age thirteen. In 1926, at the age of 21, he received his first tattoo from artist Chet Cain, an experience that prompted him to mail-order his first tattoo kit from E.J. Miller in 1928.

Early work

During the 1930s and the Great Depression, Rogers maintained a nomadic lifestyle, tattooing in carnival tents and bedrooms. He spent winters working in the cotton mills to support his family and summers traveling with shows such as the J.J. Page Show and the John T. Rea Happyland Show. During this period, he met his wife, Helen, who worked as a snake charmer. Rogers was also an acrobat, and his physical discipline was credited for his steady hand and professional demeanor, eschewing the "drunken sailor" stereotype often associated with tattooers of that era.

Norfolk

In 1945, Rogers began a collaboration with August "Cap" Coleman in Norfolk, Virginia, who was one of the most well-known tattoo artists in the U.S. at the time. Working with Coleman, Rogers helped solidify the foundational rules of American Traditional tattooing, emphasizing bold outlines, heavy black shading (the "black is the backbone" philosophy), and saturated, limited color palettes. Although the partnership was successful, Norfolk prohibited tattooing in 1950, leading Rogers to launch new ventures in Virginia and North Carolina with Lathan Connelly.

Spaulding & Rogers

Rogers later entered the industrial side of the trade, co-founding the mail-order supply firm Spaulding & Rogers with Huck Spaulding. The company became a major supplier of tattoo equipment, a business that mirrored the catalogs Rogers had used to start his own career. While his direct participation in the daily operations fluctuated, his association with the brand lasted until 1961.