'Knapper, Albert' comments & questions

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Knapper, Albert

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Discussion id : 70-949 most recent 12 APR 13 SHOW ALL

Initial post 8 APR 13 by Fred Boutin

Reply #1 of 7 posted 8 APR 13 by HMF supporting member

Patricia Routley

Changed to Albert. Fred, I have had a mini search for 'Flocon de Neige' and 'Snowflake' here and added a couple of refs, but I think they are both for the Lille one. The Trevor Griffiths 1986 ref gives a detail or two, like china blood, and starry. "Pink buds" has been added to the Knopper page as per the 1900 ref.	REPLY

Reply #3 of 7 posted 9 APR 13 by Fred Boutin

The HMF pictures of 'Flocon de Neige' seem to include two different roses: one from Countryside Roses with full flowers in tight clusters (this is the mystery rose I grow) and another one from Donald's Rose Garden with semidouble flowers in open clusters. Unfortunately the scale is not clear for comparing the apparently differing roses. Is either of these 'Flocon de Neige' or 'Snowflake'?	REPLY

Reply #2 of 7 posted 9 APR 13 by HMF supporting member

jedmar

Yes, Fred, and Albert Knapper was apparently not from Philadelphia, only his correspondent A. Blanc. I have a couple of references stating he was a nurseryman in Maximilansau on the Rhine (near Karlsruhe). I am rather suspicious of the existence of this cultivar, considering there are no other roses bred by Knapper. Likely that he sent over to USA Lille's 'Snowflake' as his own.	REPLY

Reply #4 of 7 posted 9 APR 13 by Fred Boutin

Jedmar, There are several references and display advertisements placing Albert Knapper's nursery in the Frankford district of Philadelphia in the 1890s. Possibly the same or another Albert Knapper was a nurseryman and rose breeder in Maximilansau on the Rhine in 1870 and 1880.
I suspect you may be right that Knapper obtained Lille's 'Flocon de Neige' and commercialized it as his introduction in the USA. However, the believable parentage given by Knapper of Clotilde Soupert X Paquerette suggests that Knapper may have been the breeder of this rose.
The Philadelphia Knapper seems to have specialized in perennials, including Clematis and Dahlia. These interests may have connected him with Leonard Lille, who besides growing and selecting roses was also busy raising perennials, bulbs and corms.

Reply #5 of 7 posted 10 APR 13 by HMF supporting member

jedmar

Fred, can we add the references to the Philadelphia nursery of Knapper? He might have emigrated from Germany.	REPLY

Reply #6 of 7 posted 10 APR 13 by Fred Boutin

Albert Knapper, Frankford, Pa, re. Dahlia Society Meeting. Garden and Forest, vol 8, Oct. 16, 1895, p 419.

American Grown Clematis. Advert. p. 401, May 21, 1898. American Gardening. Albert Knapper clematis, Frankford, Phila. Pa.

Notes on meeting of Chestmut Hill Horticultural Society. ... edelweiss, Leontopodium alpinum shown by Albert Knapper, of Frankford, Philadelphia. Gardening. June 1, 1900. p. 254.

F. M. Foulds has taken the greenhouses of Albert Knapper at Ambler, Pa. and will grow cut flowers for the Philadelphia market. American Florist. vol 22, May 21, 1904, p 700.

Reply #7 of 7 posted 12 APR 13 by HMF supporting member

jedmar

Thank you, we have added some of these references to Albert Knapper's page. It is now clear that he must have emigrated to USA from Germany sometime between 1881 and 1895.	REPLY

Discussion id : 66-583 most recent 26 AUG 12 HIDE POSTS

Initial post 25 AUG 12 by Fred Boutin

Albert Knapper, Philadelphia clematis nurseryman. Gardening. vol. 7, Aug,15, 1899, p. 358.	REPLY

Reply #1 of 4 posted 25 AUG 12 by HMF supporting member

jedmar

Would a Philadelphia clematis nurseryman have bred a rose with a French name?	REPLY

Reply #2 of 4 posted 25 AUG 12 by HMF supporting member

Margaret Furness

An Australian (Warren Millington) does!	REPLY

Reply #3 of 4 posted 26 AUG 12 by Fred Boutin

And would a rose be introduced by a nursery, the A. Blanc & Co, which specialized in cacti and nursery engravings. There must be an interesting story prompting these questions.	REPLY

Reply #4 of 4 posted 26 AUG 12 by HMF supporting member

jedmar

Well, 'Flocon de Neige' was listed as having been bred both by Léonard Lille in 1898 and by Alfred Knapper in 1900. The French name sounded sounded very unsuitable for a rose bred in Philadelphia. It now seems that Knapper's rose was actually called 'Snowflake' - only "Journal des Roses" translated it into French, causing the later confusion.
What remains to be shown is that Knapper might have re-issued Lille's rose in his own name.