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 - Children
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1951 photo of three children in front of their Christmas tree surrounded by gifts the family received. The two boys wear cowboy outfits. Their younger sister stands between them.
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- Portraits - Children
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1945 photo of two young boys (brothers?) seated in a living room on a hassock in front of a Christmas tree.
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- Portraits - Children
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1949 portrait photo of three young children seated on the floor of a living room in front of a Christmas tree with presents. Seen are a bike, two toy trains, stuffed animals, a toy cash register, toy digging machine.
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- Portraits - Children
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1952 photo of the same children seen in mcalB14F06i10. Seen here standing in front of their Christmas tree with their toys. Older girl and her younger sister each hold a doll. Their older brother stands between them.
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- Portraits - Children
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1945 photo of a young boy in his home seated on a rocking horse with other toys and the family Christmas tree. A framed photo of a soldier is placed on the floor among the toys that include a soldier doll.
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- Portraits - Children (Parties)
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1945 family photo at the dinner table celebrating a child's 2nd birthday. Two candles and the number 2 on the cake. See also mcalB14F12i10 for same setting.
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- Portraits - Children (Parties)
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1948 or 1949 group portrait photo of several children (all wearing party hats) and four women gathered in a living room. Photo #1. See also mcalB14F12i20
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- Portraits - Children (Parties)
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1950 children's birthday party with guests wearing birthday hats and gathered around the dining table.
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- Portraits - Children (Parties)
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1945 portrait photo of a large family gathering in honor of a birthday.
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- Portraits - Children (Parties)
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1945 photo of a photo with just the children at the dinner table celebrating a birthday. Grandmother seen to the right. See also mcalB14F12i10
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- Portraits - Children (Parties)
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1948 or 1949 group portrait photo of several children (all wearing party hats) and four women gathered in a living room. Photo #2. See also mcalB14F12i22
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- Portraits - Children (Parties)
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1945 photo of a young boy's 2nd birthday. The number 2 clearly seen on the cake on the dining table. Other children seated with the birthday boy.
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- Portraits - Family
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Ca. 1945 indoor photo of four generations in one family.
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- Portraits - Family
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1945 family portrait photo of a man, his wife and grown children gathered in a living room on the sofa. Two young men in the military. Photo #2.
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- Portraits - Family
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1945 indoor photo of the parents in mcalB14F18i09.
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- Portraits - Family
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1944 indoor photo of family with decorated Christmas tree in living room. Probable: Husband and wife (standing), with daughter or daughter-in-law (seated), who is married to serviceman in the portrait next to the tree. See also mcalB16F13i30 for just the young woman.
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- Portraits - Family
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1945 indoor photo of 2 men and 3 women, middle-aged and elderly, gathered in the dining room amid some elegant decor and furnishings. The elderly couple seated are the same as seen in mcalB14F21i05 on a velvet sofa.
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- Portraits - Family
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1953 portrait photo taken indoors of a family; perhaps a mother, father, their grown children or in-laws. One woman holds an infant.
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- Portraits - Family
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1944 indoor photo of a mother holding her child, with other family members present. See also mcalB14F16i04.
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- Portraits - Family
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1944 indoor photo of a mother and her daughter who holds a composition doll with sleep eyes. See also mcalB14F14i09.