Imagining Eliza Haywood

A series of printed images and ornaments greatly influenced eighteenth-century conceptions of Eliza Haywood as an author. In this article, I build on the work of Janine Barchas and Sarah Creel, exploring the ways in which Haywood was visually represented in editions of her works. I consider the role played by Haywood and her publishers in establishing a series of authorial eidolons (personas or avatars). Drawing on images not previously discussed by Haywood scholars, bibliographical information on ornament usage, and contemporary reader-responses to images and ornaments, I argue for a renewed focus on Haywood as the author of Love in Excess (1720) and a greater focus on reader-responses to Haywood’s works.