Jack Kerouac (1922–1969) with teacup

This photograph of Jack Kerouac was taken in New York City’s Chinatown during the filming of Pull My Daisy (1959). Directed by Alfred Leslie and Robert Frank, this short film was based on Kerouac’s play The Beat Generation and starred many of the key figures of the era, including Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky, and Gregory Corso. While the publication of On the Road (1957) established Kerouac as the voice of his generation, Pull My Daisy cemented that status: Kerouac’s continuous, spontaneous narrative provides the film’s only dialogue.