Hamst, Olphar
"A martyr to bibliography" by Olphar Hamst is a biographical and bibliographical study written in the mid-19th century. It presents the life, works, and hard-fought career of the French bibliographer Joseph-Marie Quérard, highlighting his monumental reference projects and the institutional indifference and intrigues he faced. The volume also advocates for the cultural value of bibliography and includes notices, critiques, and technical lists useful to scholars and collectors.The opening of this study sets the stage with a formal title page, epigraphs on the drudgery and public worth of bibliographical labor, and a dedication to Antonio Panizzi as a fellow champion of libraries. A candid preface follows, explaining the compiler’s sudden resolve to write, his admiration for Quérard’s methods, and his indignation at the neglect the bibliographer endured, while crediting the British Museum’s help and defining abbreviations. The narrative then begins Quérard’s life: humble origins at Rennes, early immersion in the book trade, formative years in Vienna, and his return to Paris to publish the national reference La France Littéraire. It recounts his naïve trust in official promises, rebuffs from the Bibliothèque Royale (including a notorious cataloging blunder he laughed at), postal and clerical obstacles, and a small stipend that kept his work alive. The text shifts into a brisk, annotated tour of his publications and ventures—journals, monographs, and especially the vast La France…
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