Walt Disney Productions - Specimen Stock Certificate

Specimen Stock printed by Jeffries Banknote Company.

Initially founded in 1923 by brothers Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, the company quickly became a household name. Following Walt's creation of Mickey Mouse, the studio produced groundbreaking animated shorts like Steamboat Willie (1928), the first to feature synchronized sound. This early success led to the incorporation of Walt Disney Productions in 1929 and, shortly after, the release of the world's first feature-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). The success of these early efforts allowed the company to expand its creative horizons, producing more animated classics like Dumbo and Fantasia, as well as venturing into live-action films and the emerging medium of television.

In the decades that followed, Walt Disney Productions diversified significantly, evolving from a studio focused on animation to a global entertainment conglomerate. In the 1950s, the company ventured into real estate with the opening of Disneyland in California, expanding its brand to include theme parks and resort properties. After Walt Disney's death in 1966, the company underwent a major restructuring in 1986 and was renamed The Walt Disney Company to reflect its broad array of businesses. Under this new structure, Disney made key acquisitions, such as Pixar in 2006, Marvel Entertainment in 2009, and Lucasfilm in 2012, to solidify its position in the modern media landscape. Today, the company, often called the "House of Mouse," is a multinational powerhouse with a diverse portfolio that includes film studios, broadcast and cable networks like ESPN and ABC, theme parks, and the streaming service Disney+.