This August 1963 issue (Vol. 124, No. 2) of National Geographic Magazine is fronted by a photograph of two young guests enjoying Disneyland and features two articles on Walt Disney.

The articles span pages 57-107, beginning with a one-page piece by Editor Melville Bell Grosvenor, titled “Genius of Laughter and Learning: Walt Disney,” followed by “The Magic Worlds of Walt Disney,” by Robert De Roos and photographer Thomas Nebbia. This article, essentially a photo-essay tour of Disney’s career, highlights the various avenues through which his iconic brand of story-telling manifests: animation, live-action and nature films, television, and of course, the theme park experience. In addition to the thorough text and scores of color-photos and illustrations, the issue also contains a three-page, fold-out map of Disneyland.

Overall, the issue offers an unparalleled amount of coverage, in terms of other national publications that have featured Disney over the years. The fifty-plus pages of text and photos do a fine job of documenting the studio head’s past and present successes, as well as charting a course for the magic still to come.

VALUE: $15-$25