author

Olphar Hamst

1840–1926

A Victorian bibliographer with a sharp eye for literary disguise, he is best known for reference works on pseudonyms, anonymous authorship, and the odd corners of book history. His books mix careful scholarship with a dry, playful tone that still feels distinctive today.

3 Audiobooks

Aggravating ladies : Being a list of works published under the pseudonym of "a lady," with preliminary suggestions on the art of describing books bibliographically

Aggravating ladies : Being a list of works published under the pseudonym of "a lady," with preliminary suggestions on the art of describing books bibliographically

by Olphar Hamst

Handbook of fictitious names : being a guide to authors, chiefly in the lighter literature of the XIXth century, who have written under assumed names, and to literary forgers, impostors, plagiarists, and imitators

Handbook of fictitious names : being a guide to authors, chiefly in the lighter literature of the XIXth century, who have written under assumed names, and to literary forgers, impostors, plagiarists, and imitators

by Olphar Hamst

A martyr to bibliography : A notice of the life and works of Joseph-Marie Quérard, bibliographer.

A martyr to bibliography : A notice of the life and works of Joseph-Marie Quérard, bibliographer.

by Olphar Hamst

About the author

Writing under the anagrammatic pseudonym Olphar Hamst, Ralph Thomas (1840–1926) built a reputation as a specialist in literary pseudonyms and bibliography. Library and catalog records identify him as the author behind Handbook of Fictitious Names and related works, while books published under the name Olphar Hamst show a strong interest in anonymous writing, imposture, and the hidden identities of authors.

Among his best-known books are Handbook of Fictitious Names (1868), a guide to authors who wrote under assumed names, and Aggravating Ladies (1880), a witty bibliographical study of works issued under the label “A Lady.” The surviving record suggests a writer deeply engaged with the detective work of books: tracing names, sorting attributions, and making sense of the publishing habits of the 19th century.

Reliable portrait information was not clearly available in the sources I found, so no author image is included here.