Kerouac, Jack (1957) ‘On the Road’, US first edition with an original signed cheque/ check

Jack Kerouac (1957) ‘On the Road‘. US first edition, first printing published by Viking. First state dust jacket priced USD 3.95, and with the blue and red edge stripes as called for. In addition, an original cheque/ check with Jack Kerouac’s signature dated 8 September 1960. Whatever Kerouac paid for with this cheque, the funds certainly stemmed from the ‘On The Road’ royalties. We also supply a reading copy of the illustrated ‘On the Road’ edition, published by the Folio Society in the UK.

Condition: The book is in very good condition in a good, unrestored first state dust jacket. The book has no lean; no foxing to the pages; internally clean with one previous owner’s neat name and address in ink on the ffep as shown. The white lettering on the spine and front board are vibrant and not rubbed out as often seen. The top stainstill present salmon colour. Light rubbing to bottom edge of the boards from sliding in and out of the shelf. The dust jacket is unrestored and in good condition with obvious edge wear including a few short tears to the edges, slight loss to spine tip folds, and light fading of the abstract art image on the front panel and spine (red colour has gone pink). The American dust jackets from the 50s and early 60s are very fragile and copies with perfect wrappers are exceptionally scarce. This dust jacket has not been touched by any restorer and is therefore in good condition only.

The first print run of ‘On the Road’ was, with only 7,500 copies, quite low. Not many copies have withstood the passage of time in decent condition, especially with the fragile dust jacket.

The most important novel of American 20th fiction, and the granddaddy of the ‘Beat Generation. A book that has left its permanent mark on American culture and the idea of taking road trips across America.

Signed Jack Kerouac cheques or simple notes and letters regularly fetch four figure amounts at professional auctions. The original scroll of ‘On the Road’ was sold for USD 2.4 million in 2001.