Franklin Paul Rogers

Franklin Paul Rogers (1905–1990) was an American tattoo artist. He trained under Cap Coleman in Norfolk, Virginia from 1945–1950. He designed tattoo machines, which he called "irons", a term he coined that is used in the industry. People from all over the world would visit him in his "Iron Factory" where he taught them about tattoo machine building. In his early life, he was in the traveling circus. He also helped start a mail-order supply business, Spaulding & Rogers. He is buried at Greenlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Rogers contributed to the development of the American traditional tattoo style. Don Lucas, a tattoo artist and tattoo historian, wrote a book based on interviews with him, titled The Father of American Tattooing (1990).

Early life Born in a cotton mill town in North Carolina, Rogers began working in the mills at age thirteen.