1970s Muhammad Ali Signed Type I Original Photo by Neil Leifer - Extremely Rare Leifer Type I of "Muhammad Ali Posing on the Ropes" with Dazzling 1973 Signature - PSA/DNA
Type: Type I
Year of Image: 1970s
Year of Issue: 1970s
Issuer: Neil Leifer
Size: 7.5 x 9
Description: There are no known Type I examples of Leifer's ultra-iconic shot of Ali towering over fallen Sonny Liston with muscles flexed, which is considered by some to be the greatest sports photo of all time. In fact, there are scant few Type I's of any subject that have ever surfaced from Leifer, who is considered by some to be the greatest sports photographer of all time. So this gem would already be a hot commodity merely for its Type I status. But the giant pre-Parkinson's signature, dated from Ali's prime in 1973, makes the photo more rarefied still. According to Leifer's website, "Muhammad Ali Posing on the Ropes" was a closeup portrait from a training session at Miami's 5th Street Gym on October 9, 1970.
About PSA's Photo Type Classification System©: The Type System was created in the 2005 book A Portrait of Baseball Photography by co-authors Henry Yee, Marshall Fogel and Khyber Oser, and it has been licensed exclusively to PSA since 2007. PSA Type I - A 1st generation photograph, developed from the original negative, within approximately two years of when the picture was taken. PSA Type II - A photograph, developed from the original negative, more than approximately two years after the picture was taken. PSA Type III - A 2nd generation photograph, developed from a duplicate negative, wire transmission or digital printing, within approximately two years of when the picture was taken. PSA Type IV - A 2nd generation photograph (or 3rd or later generation), developed from a duplicate negative, wire transmission or digital printing, more than approximately two years after the picture was taken. Condition - Collectible photography will typically reflect routine peripheral handling/publication wear such as creases, chips, tears, marks, crazing, foxing, notations, editorial masking/outlining, etc. Contact - Please email Goldin's Director of Vintage Memorabilia and Photography Khyber Oser (koser@goldin.co) with any questions about original/vintage photography.
