Abbas mohamed ali biography

The boxing match known as the Rumble in the Jungle, fought between Muhammed Ali and George Foreman in , was documented by Magnum photographer Abbas during the time he spent making work in Zaire, now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ahead of the release of the book, Mohamed Ali, Kinshasa , by Dupuis, we reflected on the history of the event and spoke to Hamish Crooks, Abbas’ son, manager of the photographer’s estate and former head of licensing at Magnum Photos, about boxing, Abbas’ photographic practice and the significance of photography in the construction of Ali’s legend.

In the autumn of , the world’s biggest sporting event was being in held in a new state in Africa.

Zaire, formerly known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was to host a boxing match in its capital Kinshasa; a contest between Muhammad Ali, the former heavyweight champion of the world who was 32 — already into retirement age, and George Foreman, a younger fighter and reigning heavyweight cha