Louis L. McAllister Photographs
Collection Overview
Louis L. McAllister photographed people and places near Burlington, Vermont for 60 years. He was born in Columbus, Nebraska on October 16, 1876, the son of Julius S. McAllister (born 1841 in Lincoln, VT) and Rosette Gould (born in Vermont in 1851)...
Show moreLouis L. McAllister photographed people and places near Burlington, Vermont for 60 years. He was born in Columbus, Nebraska on October 16, 1876, the son of Julius S. McAllister (born 1841 in Lincoln, VT) and Rosette Gould (born in Vermont in 1851). Julius McAllister worked as a photographer and dentist in Washington D.C., Bristol, Vermont and Columbus, Nebraska. Around 1895, Julius, his third wife Amy, and their children left Nebraska for the Union Soldiers’ Colony in Fitzgerald, Georgia. By 1900, Julius and Amy were divorced, and Amy and her stepson Louis were working as photographers in Thomasville, Georgia.
In 1907 Louis McAllister married Cora Shepard (born about 1872 in Vermont) in Holland, Michigan. By 1910, they were living in Queen City Park in South Burlington, Vermont, where Louis established a photography studio. The McAllisters moved to Burlington, and by 1919 they lived at 47 N. Winooski Avenue. They continued to occupy a summer cottage at Queen City Park, and were active in the Queen City Park Association, which held spiritualist camp meetings annually. McAllister conducted his photography business from home until his death in 1963.
McAllister’s “trademark” was his panorama camera which made him familiar to all sorts of groups ranging from graduating classes to state police to summer camp groups. In addition he did print 8 x 10 photos, many of which document building construction and Burlington Street Department projects, as well as group and individual portraits.
The L.L. McAllister Collection includes portraits, construction projects, buildings, businesses and events in the Burlington area covering the period ca. 1920-1960. The collection also includes photos of street, bridge, airport and sewer construction and repair, as well as group portraits of clubs, schools, etc.
Revised April, 2010
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Related Archival Collection
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- Portraits, groups, unidentified
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A gymnasium type room is filled with uniformed soldiers in the balcony and a large group of costumed men, women and children at what looks like a masquerade party.
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- Portraits, groups, unidentified
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1935 or 1936. A dining hall heavily decorated with crepe paper streamers attached to the ceiling. Tables are elaborately set with food with each having a cloth place mat draping the table covering and a place card. Columns are adorned with streamers and evergreen bows. An all male wait staff...
Show more1935 or 1936. A dining hall heavily decorated with crepe paper streamers attached to the ceiling. Tables are elaborately set with food with each having a cloth place mat draping the table covering and a place card. Columns are adorned with streamers and evergreen bows. An all male wait staff stands ready to serve at this Christmas meal. May be 1936 at Mount St. Mary's, located on Mansfield Ave, Burlington, Vermont. See also mcalA11F19i07, mcalB15F12i15, mcalB15F12i16.
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Eight ladies dressed in evening gowns sit gathered at a dining table in a restaurant. Wait staff can be barely seen in the darkened background. Undated but may be 1920s?
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A group of men and women; some men in formal attire, some women in some sort of uniform gather near a stage and piano for a group photo. Undated but may be 1930s? Art Deco style wall decoration seen in the background.
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A large group of women sit at round wooden dining tables in a large room; more ladies stand in the back. The room is heavily paneled with wood on the walls and ceiling with exposed beams. Four light fixtures hang from the ceiling. The table setting is clearly seen in the foreground with what...
Show moreA large group of women sit at round wooden dining tables in a large room; more ladies stand in the back. The room is heavily paneled with wood on the walls and ceiling with exposed beams. Four light fixtures hang from the ceiling. The table setting is clearly seen in the foreground with what appears to be a shamrock table favor at each plate..
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- Portraits, groups, unidentified
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Seven nuns are seen in an elementary grade class. The room is filled with alphabet letters, books and even a large size reading book of Dick, Jane and Sally is displayed. Wooden desks are arranged in straight rows anchored to the floor. A picture of Jesus hangs on the wall along with an American...
Show moreSeven nuns are seen in an elementary grade class. The room is filled with alphabet letters, books and even a large size reading book of Dick, Jane and Sally is displayed. Wooden desks are arranged in straight rows anchored to the floor. A picture of Jesus hangs on the wall along with an American flag.
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- Portraits, groups, unidentified
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A large group of young people along with a few older adults gather at a rustic restaurant(?) for a special meal and event.
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- Portraits, groups, unidentified
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A large group of young people along with a few older adults gather at a rustic restaurant(?) for a special meal and event.
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- Portraits, groups, unidentified
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A group of men and women gather on in a rustic wood paneled room (perhaps a restaurant). Overhead hangs a large folding tissue paper bell. Appears to be a Christmas celebration as a small tree and Santa Claus decoration are on the head table. Undated.
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- Portraits, groups, unidentified
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A high school history class is seen with six female uniformed (Catholic?) students focused on a large map showing the campaigns and empire of Alexander (the Great).
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- Portraits, groups, unidentified
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A large group of young people along with a few older adults gather at a rustic restaurant(?) a special event.
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- Portraits, groups, unidentified
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A large group of young people along with a few older adults gather at a rustic restaurant(?) for a special meal and event.
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- Portraits, groups, unidentified
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A large group of young people and two older women gathered in a wood paneled, wood floor room for a photo portrait.
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- Portraits, groups, unidentified
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A large group of young people along with a few older adults gather at a rustic restaurant(?) for a special meal and event.
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- Portraits, groups, unidentified
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A group of men and women in formal dress gather in a high ceiling wood floor room for a portrait. Most have their eyes closed. Smoke from the flash of the photographer's camera can be seen in the upper right corner of the photo. Undated but may be 1920s.
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- Portraits, groups, unidentified
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1959 photo of three ladies wrapping Christmas gifts including Sundial shoes, a baby doll's bassinet and winter coats for children. They sit in a wood paneled room in front of a brick fireplace. Photo #1. See also mcalB15F09i01 for a different exposure of the same women.
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- Portraits, groups, unidentified
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A group of young men and women pose for a portrait in a rustic wood paneled room (perhaps a restaurant?) Two older women sit in front. Two paintings are on the wall; one of a barn and one of an outdoor scene. Photo #1.
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- Portraits, groups, unidentified
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A large group of men gather around a leaf expanded wooden table. A large rake of antlers hang on the back wall. The room has a patterned floor covering and a wallpapered or stenciled decoration along the wall near the ceiling. A heavy curtain hangs to the right of the photo. Early part of the...
Show moreA large group of men gather around a leaf expanded wooden table. A large rake of antlers hang on the back wall. The room has a patterned floor covering and a wallpapered or stenciled decoration along the wall near the ceiling. A heavy curtain hangs to the right of the photo. Early part of the 20th century?
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- Portraits, groups, unidentified
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Ten young women relax in a common room lounging area reading magazines. A large portrait painting of a woman hangs on the wall.
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- Portraits, groups, unidentified
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A large group of men are gathered in a room with a lot of lattice work along the walls and ceiling. The letters VH are prominently displayed overhead. All the men wear business suits, some are three piece suits and all wear large tags with their names written on the lower half.