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
- Description
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Two images, one of an infant seated on a couch, the other of a young woman standing at a machine. Seen here is a machine similar to a Gammeter Multigraph printer (right) and a typesetter (left). The typesetter is also similar to a Roneo Distributing Fount of the 1920s. Photo dated 1944.
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- Portraits - Family
- Description
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1949 or 1950 group portrait of five siblings. Oldest sister holds the youngest child. Photo #2.
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- Portraits - Family
- Description
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1949 or 1950 group portrait of four young children and a young woman (oldest sister)
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- Portraits - Family
- Description
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1945 outdoor photo of the service men seen in mcalB14F24i09, and three women, who may be either sisters or spouses. Photo #5.
- Title
- Portraits - Family
- Description
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Late 1950s portrait photo (photo of a photo) placed on a surface. Shows a professional photo of a young woman in glasses, short hair style, and blouse.
- Title
- Portraits - Family
- Description
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1944 indoor photo of couple and child seen in mcalB14F14i10, with additional family members from at least three generations present. See also mcalB14F14i10 for just infant with husband and wife.
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- Portraits - Family
- Description
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1943 indoor photo of four women and an infant, very likely three or four generations of the family. See also mcalB14F14i08.
- Title
- Portraits - Family
- Description
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Ca. 1946 indoor photo of the younger generation seen in mcalB14F26i10.
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- Portraits - Family
- Description
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1945 outdoor photo of same group seen in mcalB14F24i09, looking to their right instead of left. Photo #6?
- Title
- Portraits - Individuals
- Description
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1949 or 1950 portrait photo of a young woman in a long gown standing in a chapel surrounded by basketful of flowers.
- Title
- Portraits - Individuals
- Description
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1949 or 1950 portrait photo of a young woman in a long gown standing in a chapel surrounded by basketful of flowers.
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- Portraits - Unidentified Groups
- Description
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Ca. 1945 photo of 20 women, 3 men, at a social gathering. Identity of the group, venue, or occasion unknown.
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- Portraits - Unidentified Groups
- Description
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1956 or 1957 indoor group portrait photo of youth, men and women gathered in a rustic restaurant with knotty pine walls. Overhead hangs a wood log chandelier. Photo #3.
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- Portraits - Unidentified Groups
- Description
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Large group of young women (social debutantes., perhaps?) gathered at a venue with trademark lattice decoration.
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- Portraits - Unidentified Groups
- Description
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1948 photo of 6 women gathered at a table near some bookshelves, looking at their work. Elderly woman in the middle in very likely an instructor. Identity of persons, venue, and occasion are unknown.
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- Portraits - Unidentified Groups
- Description
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1945 photo of a group of young women standing in front of the Waterman Building, University of Vt. Central figure seems to be the young woman in the white gown. Occasion unknown.
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- Portraits - Unidentified Groups
- Description
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Ca. 1945 photo of a group of young women, dressed for a formal ball. This is a smaller group from that seen in mcalB15F20i07. Identity of group, venue, and occasion unknown.
- Title
- Portraits - Unidentified Groups
- Description
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1945 photo of 5 women seated in a reception room at Trinity College. Identity of women and occasion unknown.
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- Portraits - Unidentified Groups
- Description
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1945 photo of three young women standing in front of the Waterman Building, University of Vt. Identity of the women and the occasion are unknown.
- Title
- Portraits - Unidentified Groups
- Description
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1944 photo of a large group of young men and women, perhaps college age, in a dining room. Location, occasion unknown.