author

Olphar Hamst

1840–1926

A sharp-eyed Victorian bibliographer writing under an anagrammatic pen name, this author turned the hidden world of pseudonyms, forgeries, and literary imposture into lively reference books. His work still appeals to readers curious about how books, authorship, and literary reputation were tangled together in the nineteenth century.

3 Audiobooks

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

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

About the author

Olphar Hamst was the pen name of Ralph Thomas, a nineteenth-century English writer and bibliographer. Best known for Handbook of Fictitious Names (1868), he focused on authors who published under assumed names, along with literary forgers, plagiarists, and imitators.

He also wrote Aggravating Ladies, a bibliographical study of works issued under the vague byline "a lady," and A Martyr to Bibliography, a notice on the life and work of the French bibliographer Joseph-Marie Quérard. Across these books, he showed a fondness for literary detective work and for the odd corners of book history.

Although not a household name today, his writing remains useful and entertaining for readers interested in pseudonyms, bibliography, and the playful disguises of literary culture. The name "Olphar Hamst" itself reflects that spirit: it was an anagrammatic pseudonym rather than the name he was born with.