When we were researching Teas for the Tea rose book, we came to the conclusion that the misnamed rose in commerce as Princesse de Sagan (also sold by some nurseries under the name Archiduc Charles) was likely to be Professeur Ganiviat. We based this on its close match with early descriptions and its resemblance to contemporary photos of what was said to be Professeur Ganiviat.
Since this time, one of the members of the Tea rose group was contacted by a person who saw the rose (labelled Princesse de Sagan) in a public garden and instantly recognised it as a rose that had been grown within her family for the better part of a century.
They had known the rose as "Professor Ganarvard" or something like that - the family were never absolutely certain of the spelling. Family lore had it that our correspondent's mother must have been given the rose by a professor at a Sydney university. The important thing is that it grew to a huge size and always seemed to be in flower and that cuttings of it always went with her when she moved to other towns.
After seeing this family rose labelled Princesse de Sagan, our correspondent did some on-line research and read that it was thought to be Professeur Ganiviat. She wrote "Maybe this is where we became mistaken. It was the name of the rose not the person who gave it to her."
It is wonderful when information like this comes to light. It's a reminder of the special connections and history that a rose can gather over time. And when roses are especially long-lived, the connections can extend over several generations of a family.