Walter Freeman Webb

Walter Freeman Webb (May 28, 1869 – June 1957, St. Petersburg) was an American ornithologist, conchologist and shell dealer.

Webb was born on a farm in the Mid-west. At age 13 he began collecting and selling bird's eggs. He first worked as a stenographer, then a nurseryman, then he became a natural history dealer in Albion, NY following a successful commercial exhibit at World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. From 1894-1905 he published the magazine The Museum: "A journal devoted to research in natural science"[1]. He bought and sold several important shell collections. In 1946 he moved to St. Petersburg, Florida where he continued his shell and coin business.

Webb sold over 20,000 eggs and 10,000 bird skins between 1883 and 1903. In 1930 he was America's largest shell dealer, having about 25,000 species in stock.

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