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
Pages
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Main Street (Upper)
- Description
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May 9, 1938 view of upper Main Street just below Summit Street looking west. Street is being repaved. Sawhorses stand in the middle to street where the new pavement has not yet been packed down.
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Main Street (Upper)
- Description
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Undated (may be 1920s) photo of an automobile accident on Main Street at an intersection (possibly Willard Street). The car has overturned and the underside is clearly seen. To the far right is a directional road side indicating Rutland, Middlebury, Vergennes. Another view is seen in...
Show moreUndated (may be 1920s) photo of an automobile accident on Main Street at an intersection (possibly Willard Street). The car has overturned and the underside is clearly seen. To the far right is a directional road side indicating Rutland, Middlebury, Vergennes. Another view is seen in mcalA05F15i06 and yet another published in Images of America Burlington, p. 67.
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- Title
- Burlington Streets: Main Street (Upper)
- Description
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Undated photo (maybe 1920s) of an automobile accident. Car has over turned near an intersection (possibly Willard Street). To the right is a directional road sign indicating Rutland, Middlebury and Vergennes. Another view of this incident is in the collection (mcalA05F1508) and another is...
Show moreUndated photo (maybe 1920s) of an automobile accident. Car has over turned near an intersection (possibly Willard Street). To the right is a directional road sign indicating Rutland, Middlebury and Vergennes. Another view of this incident is in the collection (mcalA05F1508) and another is published in Images of America Burlington, p. 67.
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- Title
- Burlington Streets: Manhattan Drive
- Description
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Photograph taken Oct. 19, 1938 from the corner of Manhattan Drive and Rose Street, looking toward Spring Street. The fence surrounding the H.O. Wheeler playground can be seen in the distance.
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- Burlington Streets: Manhattan Drive
- Description
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Undated photograph of Manhattan Drive taken from the intersection at Oak Street facing westward. In the distance can be seen H.O. Wheeler School and St. Joseph's Church
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Manhattan Drive
- Description
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Undated photograph of a road grating project on Manhattan Drive.
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Manhattan Drive
- Description
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Undated photograph of Manhattan Drive, possibly taken at the intersection with Spring Street, looking eastward.
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Manhattan Drive
- Description
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Undated photograph of a road grating project on Manhattan Drive.
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Manhattan Drive
- Description
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Undated photo but may be 1938 view of road construction along Manhattan Drive. A tanker truck with sign reads "Hot Asphalt, Standard Oil Co of N Y." A crew member of the Burlington Street Dept stands at the back of the truck.
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Manhattan Drive
- Description
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Undated photograph of a road grating project on Manhattan Drive
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Manhattan Drive
- Description
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Photograph dated Dec. 7, 1938 of a work crew paving Manhattan Drive.
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Maple Street
- Description
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Photograph dated June 30, 1942. Original captions reads: Marble Ave. Street Improvement Construction - pavement construction - looking westerly from Hayward St. This view shows stone base ready to receive asphalt penetration. This base is approximately 2 inches in depth over an 8 inch telfold...
Show morePhotograph dated June 30, 1942. Original captions reads: Marble Ave. Street Improvement Construction - pavement construction - looking westerly from Hayward St. This view shows stone base ready to receive asphalt penetration. This base is approximately 2 inches in depth over an 8 inch telfold stone base placed on a 6 inch sand cushion. A new 24 inch sewer main was constructed on this block during the latter part of the year 1941.
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- Title
- Burlington Streets: Maple Street
- Description
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Photograph dated Nov. 5, 1941. Original caption reads: This view taken from the intersection of Pine Street looking easterly shows a section of the sewer which has been completed from the manhole in the foreground to the trench hoe. Note the heavy clay soil being excavated also the old twelve...
Show morePhotograph dated Nov. 5, 1941. Original caption reads: This view taken from the intersection of Pine Street looking easterly shows a section of the sewer which has been completed from the manhole in the foreground to the trench hoe. Note the heavy clay soil being excavated also the old twelve inch sewer tile black of the curb which was removed and replaced with new twenty-four inch terra-cotta clay pipe. Some of the new pipe can be seen opposite the trencher. Considerable difficulties were encountered in digging this trench for the large size tile because of the presence of a gas main which paralleled the sewer and in some cases came in the same area as the new ditch and only three to four feet under surface. The fact that a considerable volume of sewerage, also household sewer connections had to be taken care of during the process of reconstruction made this job very difficult.
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- Title
- Burlington Streets: Maple Street
- Description
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Undated photograph of a work crew working on the stone base of the Maple Street paving project
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Maple Street
- Description
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Photograph dated Feb. 26, 1938 showing a work crew working on the Maple Street paving project near the intersection with South Prospect Street.
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Maple Street
- Description
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Undated photograph of Maple Street showing its unpaved surface.
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Maple Street
- Description
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Photograph dated July 12, 1933 showing the road surface of Maple Street before paving. The photo was taken near the intersection of Pine Street and Maple Street looking westerly down Maple Street towards Lake Champlain. The breakwater can be seen in the distance.
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Maple Street
- Description
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Photograph dated May 23, 1938 of a work crew putting down asphalt on a section of upper Maple Street.
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Maple Street
- Description
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Photograph dated Feb. 26, 1938 showing a work crew working on the Maple Street paving project. Temporary structures used by the crew can be seen to the right.
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Maple Street
- Description
-
Photograph dated June 30, 1942. Original captions reads: Marble Ave. Street Improvement Construction - pavement construction - looking westerly from Hayward St. This view shows stone base ready to receive asphalt penetration. This base is approximately 2 inches in depth over an 8 inch telfold...
Show morePhotograph dated June 30, 1942. Original captions reads: Marble Ave. Street Improvement Construction - pavement construction - looking westerly from Hayward St. This view shows stone base ready to receive asphalt penetration. This base is approximately 2 inches in depth over an 8 inch telfold stone base placed on a 6 inch sand cushion. A new 24 inch sewer main was constructed on this block during the latter part of the year 1941.
Show less