Old Bull’s House of Experiments

On the Road

This flow follows Old Bull Lee’s household as a refuge for travelers, a theater for eccentric investigations, and a place whose limits force the road party onward.

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Bearing strength in each event

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The Bayou Welcome The Bayou Welcome from "On the Road". A House Full of Visitors Arrival Sal Paradise, Dean Moriarty, and their companions reach Old Bull Lee’s home near New Orleans, where Jane Lee and the children…

The Bayou Welcome from "On the Road". A House Full of Visitors Arrival Sal Paradise, Dean Moriarty, and their companions reach Old Bull Lee’s home near New Orleans, where Jane Lee and the children…

A House Full of Visitors Arrival Sal Paradise, Dean Moriarty, and their companions reach Old Bull Lee’s home near New Orleans, where Jane Lee and the children live amid disorder and constant talk. Refuge Old Bull welcomes Sal, but the crowded household quickly tests everyone’s patience and resources.

The Teacher’s Questions The Teacher’s Questions from "On the Road". An Interrogation Conversation Old Bull Lee questions Dean Moriarty about the purpose of the trip and asks Sal Paradise why he is heading west.

The Teacher’s Questions from "On the Road". An Interrogation Conversation Old Bull Lee questions Dean Moriarty about the purpose of the trip and asks Sal Paradise why he is heading west.

An Interrogation Conversation Old Bull Lee questions Dean Moriarty about the purpose of the trip and asks Sal Paradise why he is heading west. Neither traveler can offer a clear account. Contrast Old Bull’s skepticism challenges their habit of treating movement as its own explanation.

The Orgone Box The Orgone Box from "On the Road". A Private Theory Experiment Old Bull Lee invites his visitors to use an Orgone accumulator, which he believes gathers a life-giving force from the atmosphere.

The Orgone Box from "On the Road". A Private Theory Experiment Old Bull Lee invites his visitors to use an Orgone accumulator, which he believes gathers a life-giving force from the atmosphere.

A Private Theory Experiment Old Bull Lee invites his visitors to use an Orgone accumulator, which he believes gathers a life-giving force from the atmosphere. Character The device reflects his appetite for systems and experiments, even as his household life remains materially strained and unpredictable.

A Vision at Gretna A Vision at Gretna from "On the Road". The Missed Signal Racecourse Old Bull Lee takes Sal Paradise to Gretna, where he nearly wins a large amount at a slot machine.

A Vision at Gretna from "On the Road". The Missed Signal Racecourse Old Bull Lee takes Sal Paradise to Gretna, where he nearly wins a large amount at a slot machine.

The Missed Signal Racecourse Old Bull Lee takes Sal Paradise to Gretna, where he nearly wins a large amount at a slot machine. Sal notices the horse Big Pop but does not place a bet. Interpretation Old Bull later treats the result as evidence that Sal ignored a message from the dead, turning chance into a lesson about attention.

Departure from the Bayou Departure from the Bayou from "On the Road". The Household Is Left Behind Friction Dean Moriarty wants money from Old Bull Lee, who refuses.

Departure from the Bayou from "On the Road". The Household Is Left Behind Friction Dean Moriarty wants money from Old Bull Lee, who refuses.

The Household Is Left Behind Friction Dean Moriarty wants money from Old Bull Lee, who refuses. The crowded visit has also disrupted Jane Lee’s home and Old Bull’s work. Departure Sal Paradise, Dean, and Marylou leave for California, leaving Old Bull’s refuge behind without resolving the conflict.

Early 1949, after the journey south

The first evening at Old Bull’s house

During the group’s early days at the house

During Sal’s stay with Old Bull

After the party leaves New Orleans