404. JACK KEROUAC'S ENCYCLOPEDIAS A terrific Kerouac association item, his 29 volume set of the 1911 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, each copy of which bears a black ink ownership stamp on the front flyleaf: "Property of Jack Kerouac 8-23-60". These soft-covered leather-bound volumes were published in Cambridge, England by the University Press, 1910, and especially dedicated to President William H. Taft. The volumes bear some moderate wear and sunning along the spine, some with some chipping thereat, otherwise very good condition and sold with the original fitted book case with individual shelves for each volume. Accompanied by a copy of a letter of provenance from Dr. Philip Singer, a close friend to Kerouac, who states that the books were given to him by Tony Sampas, Kerouac's brother-in-law. These volumes were a treasure to Kerouac! He first mentions the books in a Sep. 14, 1960 letter to fellow poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti: "...Waiting on pins and needles for my new books and especially for the encyclopedia from [Britannica editor] Henry Evans..." On Sep. 22. 1960, a day after receiving the books, Kerouac excitedly writes Allen Ginsberg about his new find: "...had 11th edition of encyclopedia britannica mailed to me (35 bucks whole price) 29 volumes containing 30,000 pages with exactly 65,000,000 words of scholarly Oxford and Cambridge prose...stayed up till 5 a.m. amazed in that sea of prose-looked up Logia where Jesus is reported to have said...that one must not cease seeking for the kingdom & WILL WAKE UP < "A S T O N I S H E D" in the kingdom!...This is the prize of prizes! I've been waiting for this 29 volume edition since I first saw it age 16 in Lowell High library - It's possible to make complete studies in Theology of ALL religions...all Kabbalas and Schmabalas...all about Buddha..." One can imagine Kerouac poring over these volumes as he researched his writings or otherwise simply gathered his thoughts for his next work. These volumes do not appear to bear any annotations, other then Kerouac's ownership stamps, which, in his zeal he apparently had misdated for the previous month, to read "8-23-60". Also includes a softbound copy of Jack Kerouac, Selected Letters 1957-1969, Penguin Books, 1999 which reprint Jack's letters to his friends mentioning his delight in receiving this literary "prize of prizes". Extra shipping applies. $4,000-6,000