Ben Rodgers

Howard Rodgers, the son of Ben Rodgers, provided information regarding his father on a pipe-focussed newsgroup in 2012. Howard Rodgers stated, "Ben Rodgers (1904-1991) was the greatest man I've ever known. My father owned a small pipes and tobacco store (1930-1960) just off of Times Square in Manhattan. Although 1083 Ave. of The Americas (right next to Horn and Hardart Cafeteria and across the street from Bryant Park) was a small shop, he utilized every square inch and had an amazing selection of pipes in all price ranges, including his own brands, as well as tobacco, imported cigarettes, etc. Even though his shop was small, he had an extremely wide reach that included a mail order business where he shipped all over the country. Customers would travel long distances to see him. When I was growing up, I used to work there on Saturdays. He taught me about retailing and that the customer was always right and to treat everyone with respect. This helped me to grow up and be a successful retailer in a different industry."

Ben Rodgers Storefront - Times Square circa 1960 (Photo courtesy of Howard Rodgers)

Ben Rodgers "Golden Thorn" Pot (Photo courtesy of Steve Charbonneau)

Article written by Steve Charbonneau (aka "Humblepipe")