FAMED SPORTS ILLUSTRATED PHOTOGRAPHER TO COVER ANNIVERSARY OF ALI-LISTON FIGHT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dottie Perham-Whittier, City of Lewiston, 784-2951
May 05, 2005
Assistant City Administrator Phil Nadeau has confirmed that famed photographer Neil Leifer will return to Lewiston to re-photograph the site where he took his now iconic photo of Mohammed Ali standing over a prone Sonny Liston in 1965. Leifer is on special assignment for Sports Illustrated and is scheduled to arrive in Lewiston on May 24 to photograph the Colisee (often referred to by the media as St. Dominic’s Arena in 1965) on May 25, the 40th anniversary of the now historic boxing event. Leifer’s visit to Lewiston will also be covered by HBO Real Sports.
Nadeau reported that Leifer’s visit is part of a year-long Sports Illustrated special assignment that has the photographer covering most of the major sporting events that he has covered throughout his career. Leifer has already photographed this year’s Daytona 500, Super Bowl, the Final Four, and the Masters. Throughout the remainder of the year, he will also cover the Kentucky Derby, the NBA championships, the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, and the World Series. Leifer’s visit to the Colisee in Lewiston may be the only venue that will not involve an actual sporting event. The year-long special assignment will then become part of a special feature in Sports Illustrated which will be publised at the year’s end.
Nadeau has also confirmed that he will be coordinating the photo shoot for Leifer and will be working with the Colisee staff on the interior set-up. Working with photos provided by Leifer of the original fight, the plan will be to have a boxing ring set-up in the facility along with a lighting and seating scheme that closely resembles how the interior was arranged for the 1965 fight. Leifer is planning to photograph the facility on May 25, 40 years to the day when Leifer took his now historic photo. The facility will be closed to the press and public during Leifer’s actual photo session.
Though Leifer often says that much of his public recognition may often be linked to his very famous photograph of Ali in Lewiston, his reputation as one of the world’s top photographers is well established within a body of work that features over 200 covers for Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine. In addition to having his pictures featured in publications such as Newsweek, GQ, Esquire, and Life Magazine, Leifer has published eleven books, directed two feature films (”Yesterday’s Heroes” and “Trading Hearts”), produced a documentary for HBO (”Picture Perfect”), and is currently producing a documentary for ESPN.
It has also been confirmed that HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” will be sending correspondent Frank DeFord to Lewiston. Deford is scheduled to tape an interview with Leifer in Lewiston on May 24 or 25, possibly on-site at the Colisee, for the acclaimed sports program. Deford is an award winning journalist who has received multiple awards both in the field of journalism and in broadcasting. Deford also serves as a Senior Contributing Editor for Sports Illustrated, a commentator for National Public Radio, and has authored more than a dozen books.
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