8" x 10" vintage photo of Muhammad Ali issued while he was still using his given name. This multisport issue was distributed as a premium for Sports Pix magazine in the early 1960s, with 8" x 10" photos released in the early 1960s and slightly larger examples produced after 1963. The black and white photos were set inside a white border, with the subject's name and occasional biographical or additional information at the bottom center, and the Sports Pix identifier and address at the bottom right. There were three different sets produced, based on information included in an advertisement in the 1963 Street and Smith Pictorial Annual, each consisting of 12 different athletes from the worlds of baseball, football, and boxing. Due to their size, the photos are frequently found in lower grades, with scrapbook damage and pinholes the most common condition issues. The only grading company that currently grades this issue is Beckett, who identifies these as being issued between 1968 and 1973; however, based on ads in the Street and Smith Pictorial Annual in 1963 (and again in 1966), we know that these sets were issued as early as 1963. Further, no respectful sports publication would have referred to Muhammad Ali by his given name after 1964, when he denounced his birth name.

The advertisement in the Pictorial Annual does picture a Cassius Clay; it is a full body pose, different in appearance from this portrait version. The 1963 advertisement refers to a redemption offer of five additional pictures if the purchaser ordered all three sets. It is entirely possible that this photo, which is printed on matte paper as opposed to the glossy paper commonly found in this issue, was one of the five redemption photos. It is safe to assume that those redemption photos are far more scarce than the photos in the individual sets.

This example has been graded EX 5 by Beckett and entombed in their giant sarcophagus, never to be touched by human hands again. Eye appeal is tremendous, as the photo appears even stronger than the assigned grade. Please note that the Mylar baggie encasing the photo causes it to not lie flat, thus the appearance of "waviness" in the scan. Similarly, the Mylar is difficult to photograph with a holder this large, so some reflections can be noted at the corners and top edge - these are the Mylar reflecting against the camera flash.