The person behind the rose: Mme Isaac Pereire

Mme Isaac Pereire today is regarded as one of the most beautiful old roses with probably the strongest raspberry fragrance regardless of the weather. It's a rose of opulence and Baroque splendor but who was the real Mme Isaac Pereire?

Let me first say that the rose didn't start as Mme Isaac Pereire. It's breeder, Armand Garçon, gave her the name Le Bienheureux de la Salle, a tribute to the catholic Saint Jean Baptiste de la Salle who cared for homeless children and who started schools. I myself went to a school that was erected by his Congregation.

Armand Garçon was an amateur rosarian and he asked his friend Margottin to come and see his new rose. Margottin immediately knew this was a golden rose but he told Garçon that the rose was mediocre at best and wouldn't become popular. But I can buy her from you and bring it on the market. Garçon, who didn't have much money agreed with Margottin and sold the rose for a small amount of French Franks. Margottin thought he was clever and changed the name into Mme Isaac Pereire and brought her on the market in 1881. The rose became immensely popular and Margottin rejoiced but news came out that he tricked and misled Garçon. All rosarians turned from Margottin and agreed to always name Garçon as the breeder of the rose and to call her with her first name, the one Garçon gave it: Le Bienheureux de la Salle.

However, people already called her Mme Isaac Pereire for years so the real name didn't become popular but it still is her official other name. So in the end Garçon got credited for his work.

But who was Mme Isaac Pereire? Well she was the wife of Isaac Pereire, a member of the famous French banker family Rodriguez - Pereire. These Sephardic Jews from Portugal came to France in the 18th century and changed their name from Pereira to the more French sounding Pereire. Fanny was Isaac Pereire's second wife as his wife died at an early age. She also was his brother's daughter so she was his full niece and her uncle!

The Pereire couple were philanthropes and they build many schools, hospitals and orphanages especially for young homeless children. Isaac was involved in the railway and building industry so he was a big figure of the industrial revolution in France.

So when you admire your Mme Isaac Pereire rose in summer think of Fanny in her big Sisi sized dresses.