Born in Hyde Park, Massachusetts (later incorporated into the City of Boston), Franklin T. Wood initially studied at the Cowles Art School in Boston before transferring to the Art Students League in New York City. He traveled to Europe for further study, and launched his career as a commercial illustrator, producing work for a number of periodicals including The Youth's Companion and Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. In addition, Wood published a series of etchings that received high praise from his peers. In 1915, he moved to Rutland, Massachusetts where he remained for the rest of his life. That same year, he exhibited a group of etchings at he Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, followed by shows at the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.