Walt Disney’s first map of his planned Disneyland theme park in Southern California is going up for sale in June and could fetch up to $900,000, auctioneers said on Friday.
The 1953 map, hand-inked and hand-colored, was created by Disney and artist Herb Ryman and used to present to investors in order to secure funding to build the first Disney theme park in Anaheim, reports Reuters.
It clearly shows the layout of the park with the now iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle and railroad, and sections for Fantasy Land, Land of Tomorrow, and Frontier Land.
Disney’s map has since passed down through employees and friends, and the current seller wishes to remain anonymous, auctioneers Van Eaton Galleries in Los Angeles said.
The map carries an estimate of $700,000 to $900,000 and will be the centerpiece of the June 25 auction.
Auctioneer co-owner Mike Van Eaton said the map was created over a single weekend.
“It’s a very important piece in Disneyland history,” he said.
