This personal check from the account of Walter E. Disney is made out to Elizabeth Hardcastle in the amount of $5,978.34. Elizabeth was the wife of Albert Hardcastle, a professional songwriter originally from Tyne-and-Wear, England, who immigrated to the United States and was successful in placing several of his compositions with film and television projects produced by Disney and others.

The check is also significant in the fact that it was written on March 27, 1952, the day that Walt made the very first public announcement of Disneyland. The monumental article ran on the front page of the Burbank Daily Journal with the headline, “Walt Disney Make-Believe Land Project Planned Here–$1.5 Million Dreamland to Rise on Site in Burbank.” (Originally, Walt planned to build the park near his Burbank studios.)

Featuring Walt’s flowery trademark script in a fountain-pen ink, the check provides a fine example of an early-1950’s Disney signature, while holding a unique connection between the man and his beloved project that would forever alter the world’s entertainment landscape.