Previously Unreleased Muhammad Ali Photographs

by Anton Tabuena on Sep 3, 2010 5:57 AM EDT

Cross-posted from BloodyElbow.com since boxing fans are more likely to appreciate these:

50 years ago, Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, won the Olympic Gold Medal in Rome. To celebrate the occasion, his friend and award winning photographer, Michael Gaffney, released previously unseen pictures of the boxing legend.

More pictures here.

Gaffney also talked about the experience:

"I'd always wanted to photograph a true icon. I went off to photograph Ali at his Pennsylvanian training camp. Two weeks turned into a year. He simply told me I wasn't leaving and his words were 'I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse'."

Gaffney was touched by Ali's genius. "I went everywhere with him. I took thousands of pictures. The pictures went all over the world, in every newspaper and magazine imaginable. But there are many in this exhibition that have never been seen."

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Thank you, thank you, thank you

by BoxAnne on Sep 3, 2010 7:42 AM EDT reply actions

Gaffney

Showed a lot of those pictures in a gallery—last year, I think. Here’s hoping he gets them published. Doesn’t seem like he’d have much trouble finding a publisher.

by BoxAnne on Sep 3, 2010 7:45 AM EDT up reply actions

In my eyes… Ali will always be a douche bag. Great all time boxer, but a horrible human being towards other boxers.

"Boxing is dirty," said Casamayor. " The day I’m not ready to be a dirty fighter is the day I don’t fight anymore because it will mean that I have no heart for it anymore."

by Zocalo on Sep 3, 2010 9:11 AM EDT reply actions

Foregiveness is a virtue, Z. But I know where you are coming from.

Pray for Nick Charles

by Kid Blast on Sep 3, 2010 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions

here's what Gaffney said about that:

“All my memories with Muhammad I hang on to. He was a happy human being, and he transferred that happiness to all those around him. I got an education, I learnt tolerance and I learnt patience with this kid. It don’t cost nothing to be nice.”

Gaffney’s time with Ali has stayed with him. The images will be there forever. "He was a very modest guy. He was humble when you knew him.

“The loud image was part of his act, his persona, but the real Muhammad was very quiet, very studious. The public rarely saw the fact that he was a real deep thinker. When I was with him, I recorded speeches from him on the universal topics of life, love, truth, honesty, friendship.

" He would never look at a note, but just speak on these things for over an hour."

Gaffney took thousands of photographs during that year. “The set of prints I selected for the exhibition were to epitomise not just Ali the boxer, but Ali the human being,” he said.

weoweoweo .deviantart .com -- @antontabuena

by Anton Tabuena on Sep 4, 2010 2:37 AM EDT up reply actions