David Webb — A life in pictures

The actor and anti-censorship activist David Webb died a year ago today. Now there is not one but two websites that celebrate his life and work.


A casting photograph of David Webb.

Both these archives came about by accident; the first arose out of a telephone call, shortly after the actor’s death in a South London hospice at the age of 81. A visit to his apartment in Flood Street, Chelsea led to my setting up The David Webb Virtual Archive, and shortly The NCROPA Virtual Archive. Both of these are still far from complete, but although the David Webb archive was not intended to be a fan site, I have recently added a small fan section. There are also two sections devoted to photographs of, by or relating to David Webb personally.

The following – some of which are published for the first time ever here – document his life virtually from the cradle to the grave.


Not the first ever photograph of David Webb, but one of the earliest. He was born in 1931, so use your skill to judge his age. The girl is his only sibling, his elder sister Pamela, who is still alive.


A young David Webb with his sister. Published here for the first time ever.


The above photograph is dated 1942. Does this boy look 11 years old to you?


This group photograph was taken at or near Luton Grammar School, which David Webb attended.


David Webb travelled widely in both the UK, on the Continent, and in the US. This photograph of the entrance to the League of Nations building
was found in his collection. It was taken in 1947, probably by him or if not him then by a companion.


This previously unpublished family photograph is captioned August 1952.


This family portrait is captioned Reg, Uncle Doc and Alec. David Webb’s middle name was Alec,
so the third man is obviously his father. The other two are as yet unidentified.


David Webb at the grave of the poet William Wordsworth in August 1952.


David Webb during his national service days.


A young David Webb and friend in party mood.


David Webb visited New York many times, including in the bi-centenary year, 1976.
This undated photograph was taken from one of his jaunts around the city by helicopter.


David Webb in New York, checking out one of its explicit shows,
purely in his capacity as an anti-censorship activist, of course.


David Webb photographed in 1983 when he stood as the anti-censorship candidate against Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.


David Webb returns to his hometown of Luton, September 25, 2004.

[The above article was first published June 30, 2013. The David Webb Virtual Archive was opened December 16, 2012; it was renamed The David Webb Virtual Archive & Fan Site on August 10, 2013. All the images on this page were uploaded individually to the Digital Journal website. Some were published there for the first time but all can now be found at The David Webb Virtual Archive & Fan Site although seven have had to be re-uploaded for this article because they needed to be resized. At the time this article was first published, Pamela Webb was still alive. She died two years later.]

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