Kerouac’s Original ‘On the Road’ Scroll Returns to Auction with $4 Million Estimate
New York, Friday, 6 February 2026.
Typed on a continuous 120-foot scroll to maintain his creative flow, Kerouac’s original draft returns to the market this March with a projected $4 million valuation.
A High-Stakes Literary Auction
The literary world and alternative asset investors are turning their attention to Christie’s upcoming sale on March 12, where the original manuscript of On the Road will headline a high-profile auction [1]. The 120-foot scroll is expected to realize between $2.5 million and $4 million [1]. This sale represents a significant moment for the estate of Jim Irsay, the late Indianapolis Colts owner who passed away in May 2025 [4]. Irsay originally acquired the manuscript in 2001 for $2.4 million, marking a potential valuation increase of up to 66.667% over the past quarter-century [1].
The Myth and Mechanics of the Scroll
The physical nature of the manuscript drives much of its allure and valuation. In April 1951, Kerouac taped pages together to form a continuous 120-foot (36.6-meter) roll of paper, allowing him to type without the interruption of reloading his typewriter [1][2][4]. This method enabled him to write the first draft in a frenetic three-week period, producing a single-spaced block of text lacking chapter breaks or paragraph structures [2]. Heather Weintraub, a specialist at Christie’s, notes that when the document is unfurled, “it actually looks like a road,” cementing its status as perhaps the most iconic artifact of the Beat Generation [2].
A Test for the Collectibles Market
This auction serves as a bellwether for the high-end memorabilia market. The scroll is the centerpiece of a broader dispersal of the Jim Irsay Collection, which includes over 400 pop culture treasures scheduled for sale between March 3 and March 17 [3]. Alongside the On the Road manuscript, the auction house is offering the original typescript scroll of Kerouac’s 1958 novel The Dharma Bums, which carries a pre-sale estimate of $300,000 to $500,000 [3]. Collectors can also bid on a first-edition copy of the book previously owned by Hunter S. Thompson, valued between $2,000 and $3,000 [3].
Provenance and Public Access
Provenance—the history of ownership—plays a crucial role in the valuation of such unique assets. After Kerouac’s death in 1969, the scroll remained within his circle until its 2001 auction debut [3]. Under Irsay’s stewardship, the manuscript was not sequestered in a private vault; instead, it toured prominent institutions including the New York Public Library, the Musee des Lettres et Manuscrits in Paris, and the American Writers Museum [3]. Christie’s specialists have expressed hope that the winning bidder will follow this precedent or that a public institution will acquire the piece to ensure continued public access [3].