Poster Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier promoting the Fight of the Century: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A LeRoy Neiman poster depicting drawings of Muhammad Ali (not wearing gloves) face-to-face with champion Joe Frazier (wearing gloves). The top of the poster has text in black ink that reads: [JOE FRAZIER vs. / MUHAMMAD ALI / WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP / MADISON SQUARE GARDEN/MAR. 8, 1971]. Printed in the lower-right corner are LeRoy Neiman's facsimile signature and the year he originally created the poster 19['71]. Neiman also signed above the facsimile signature in black ink that reads: [To David - LeRoy Neiman '98]. Text printed in black in the bottom right corner of the front of the poster reads: [© 1971 by Sports Posters, Inc. Printed in U.S.A.] The back of the poster is blank.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1971
• Printed by: Sports Posters, Inc.
• Designed by: LeRoy Neiman, American, 1921 - 2012
• Subject of: Muhammad Ali, American, 1942 - 2016
• Subject of: Joe Frazier, American, 1944 - 2011
• Signed by: LeRoy Neiman, American, 1921 - 2012
• Type: posters
• Medium: ink on paper
• Dimensions: H x W: 37 1/2 × 25 1/8 in. (95.3 × 63.8 cm)
• Place made: United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Art
• Topic: Athletes
• Topic: Boxing
• Topic: Sports
• Object number: 2014.90.2
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © LeRoy Neiman Foundation Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.