'On the Road', US first edition with an original signed cheque, beautifully rebound with unique road design

Kerouac, Jack

Published by Viking Press, 1957

About this Item

Jack Kerouac (1957) On the Road , US first edition, first printing, published by Viking. Beautifully rebound in full black leather and unique design. Bound by Richard Tong, a prize-winning binder and publisher from the UK to the highest standard. Accompanied is an original cheque, handwritten and signed by Jack Kerouac. Both items are housed in a buckram solander case lined with suede. The cheque is housed under a protective removable plastic sheet. About the design and materials used: The book is bound in finest black goatskin supplied by Harmatan and Oakridge, one of the finest suppliers of leather in Europe. The front board shows the title ON THE ROAD in white and in perspective as if the letters were central road markings giving the viever the feel of being in the car and on the road with Kerouac. The spine shows Jack Kerouac in white letters. The black buckram solander case shows dividing road marking across both sides and spine with the title and author s name on opposing lanes mimicking traffic on the road. The solander case in lined with black felt so that the book s leather will not rub against a hard surface. The book s top edge has been silvered. Marbled endpapers have been inserted with a design reminiscent of Edvard Munch s The Scream , somewhat appropriate given Kerouac s biography. The original cheque, is filled in by hand by Kerouac for the amount of USD 194.50 to the order of Macey s and signed by him. The date is 28 May 1958 and most likely the funds came from the royaltites of On the Road which became a bestseller. Perhaps Jack bought his mother a kitchen appliance with this cheque. Condition: the book presents in fine condition with no previous owner s names or scribbles throughout. An occasional stain on some of the pages only pronouces the authenticity of the book from 1957. One of the landmark books of 20th century litareture and the most important example of America s Beat Generation (a term which Kerouac himself loathed). The original scroll which Kerouac typed in 1951 within three weeks in a frenzy was auctioned off in 2007 for the incredible amount of 2.43 million US dollars. First and Fine.

Seller Inventory # ABE-1631889187359

Bibliographic Details

• Title: 'On the Road', US first edition with an original signed cheque, beautifully rebound with unique road design
• Publisher: Viking Press
• Publication Date: 1957
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Near Fine
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)