ABSTRACT
I begin with a few narratives that set the scene. On a personal level, these accounts describe the origins of my interest in imagery)’ in the learning and teaching of mathematics, starting in about 1979. On a global level, these accounts show why imagery is of vital concern in fostering mathematical creativity in school students and mathematicians alike. I include a brief history of visual imagery as it developed in the psychological literature, and in its relation to a sister construct, spatial ability. The account starts with the story of Anton and two other boys, in the South African high school where I taught mathematics for a number of years.
