The late photographer Chris Smith left behind a remarkable collection of images featuring many of the larger-than-life characters who defined the last four decades of the 20th century. His subjects included Muhammad Ali, Paul Gascoigne, John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Aretha Franklin, Seve Ballesteros, and Daley Thompson.
Iconic Moments Captured
One of his most memorable shots was of Muhammad Ali during a training session at Chris Dundee's 5th Street gym in Miami Beach in 1971. Another captured the emotional moment when Paul Gascoigne was consoled by Chris Waddle after England's defeat by West Germany in the World Cup semi-final in Turin on 4 July 1990.
Smith's work also included a striking image of Irish boxer Barry McGuigan with his trainer during his world featherweight fight against Steve Cruz in Las Vegas on 23 June 1986. McGuigan later called the photograph 'the picture of me with the dead eyes'. After the fight, McGuigan ended up in hospital with heat exhaustion and dehydration.
Olympic and Championship Highlights
At the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, Smith made the courageous decision to position himself alongside the start line to capture Allan Wells of Great Britain taking off en route to winning the men's 100m on 25 July. He also photographed Daley Thompson competing in the long jump on the first day of the decathlon on 8 August 1984 at the Memorial Coliseum during the Los Angeles Olympics, where Thompson went on to take gold with a world-record-setting 8,847 points.
Smith was present at the 1984 European Cup final in Rome, where Roma fans held flares aloft during the match against Liverpool on 30 May 1984. He said this was his favourite photograph, having never seen Italian Ultras before. When he witnessed their flares, smoke grenades, and fireworks, he jumped into the crowd to capture an image that is as much a dramatic news picture as a compelling sports picture.
Beyond Sports
Smith's work extended beyond sports, including a portrait of artist David Hockney for the Observer magazine feature Quest for Fulfilment, and a photograph of Margaret Thatcher cleaning a car for the same feature. He also captured Aretha Franklin at the Revolution Club in Bruton Place, London, on 10 May 1968, and Sir Garfield Sobers in Eastbourne on 30 April 1969.
His sports portfolio featured Seve Ballesteros during the British Open golf championship at Royal St George's in Sandwich in July 1985. The Spanish golfer, having a disappointing round, said the photograph depicted 'how I felt. It makes me remember'. Smith also photographed John McEnroe wiping his forehead during the men's singles final against Bjorn Borg at Wimbledon on 5 July 1980, a match regarded as one of the greatest ever played.
