This document is the introduction to a symposium given by James T. Sykes, a Fulbright Scholar and senior advisor for aging policy at the University of Wisconsin. The symposium is titled "A Thousand Words: Reflections on the Meaning and Impact of Images of Aging" and is part of the 11th Global Conference on Ageing in Prague, Czech Republic. The introduction provides background on Sykes and frames the topic of the symposium around exploring how images influence perceptions of aging.