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 Airport
- Description
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Nov. 1, 1935. Construction workers use shovels on an excavated piece of land at site of Burlington Municipal Airport.
- Title
- Burlington Airport
- Description
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July 18, 1935. Photo #15. Caption on this 1935 photo reads "#15 Burlington Vt 7-18-35 VERA (Vermont Emergency Relief Administration) Proj. #402-B15-1 Burlington Municipal Airport. General view from Beacon Tower. Note completed stabilization base in taxi strip in right foreground. Crushed stone...
Show moreJuly 18, 1935. Photo #15. Caption on this 1935 photo reads "#15 Burlington Vt 7-18-35 VERA (Vermont Emergency Relief Administration) Proj. #402-B15-1 Burlington Municipal Airport. General view from Beacon Tower. Note completed stabilization base in taxi strip in right foreground. Crushed stone for Armour coat being placed in left foreground on E + W runway."
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- Title
- Burlington Airport
- Description
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November 27, 1934. This view is looking west from the north-south runway and shows the completed approach to hangar and administration building done under V.E.R.A. Caption on this 1934 photo reads "#17A 11-27-34 Municipal Air Port Project - Approach or 'Taxi Strip' construction completed....
Show moreNovember 27, 1934. This view is looking west from the north-south runway and shows the completed approach to hangar and administration building done under V.E.R.A. Caption on this 1934 photo reads "#17A 11-27-34 Municipal Air Port Project - Approach or 'Taxi Strip' construction completed. Administration Building and Hangar in background."
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- Title
- Burlington Airport
- Description
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November 23, 1939. WPA (Work Projects Administration) Project No. 65-1-12-43. This view shows the penetration of the armor coat on the northerly half of the 1,250 foot extension of the north-south runway. This view also shows the spreading operation of applying the peastone cover with the aid of...
Show moreNovember 23, 1939. WPA (Work Projects Administration) Project No. 65-1-12-43. This view shows the penetration of the armor coat on the northerly half of the 1,250 foot extension of the north-south runway. This view also shows the spreading operation of applying the peastone cover with the aid of the rotary type chip spreader as well as the rolling of the surface with a ten ton tandem roller and hand brooming of the peastone cover where necessary. Note the 100 foot radius turning area at the upper right of the picture.
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- Title
- Burlington Airport
- Description
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June 20, 1935. Photo #6. Caption on photo reads "#6 Burlington Vt. 6-20-35 VERA (Vermont Emergency Relief Administration) Proj # 402-B15-1 Burlington Municipal Airport - Distribution of Bitumuls and blade grater following and leveling prior to light compacting of surface." Show industrial road...
Show moreJune 20, 1935. Photo #6. Caption on photo reads "#6 Burlington Vt. 6-20-35 VERA (Vermont Emergency Relief Administration) Proj # 402-B15-1 Burlington Municipal Airport - Distribution of Bitumuls and blade grater following and leveling prior to light compacting of surface." Show industrial road construction vehicles of 1935 with operators.
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- Title
- Burlington Airport
- Description
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August 23, 1941. Burlington Municipal Airport, WPA (Work Projects Administration) Project. This view is taken on the centerline of the new diagonal runway looking southeasterly from a point near the boundary lights (shown in the foreground) on the easterly edge of the north-south runway area....
Show moreAugust 23, 1941. Burlington Municipal Airport, WPA (Work Projects Administration) Project. This view is taken on the centerline of the new diagonal runway looking southeasterly from a point near the boundary lights (shown in the foreground) on the easterly edge of the north-south runway area. Note the power shovel and trucks completing excavation of area in the "V" enclosed within the three runways. This area has just been cleared from the growth of small pine trees. The batter boards in the right and left foreground are located over the drainage ditch where the underground corrugated perforated tar coated metal culvert pipes have just been installed. The crew at the left is constructing a concrete catch basin on the drainage system. The grader and asphalt distributor in the background at the left are constructing soil stabilization base.
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- Title
- Burlington Airport (4X5's)
- Date Created
- 1939-11-16
- Description
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Photo dated Nov. 16, 1939. Construction site (probably runway expansion) at the Burlington Municipal Airport in Burlington, Vermont. Piece of equipment seen to the extreme right.
- Title
- Burlington Airport (4X5's)
- Date Created
- 1934-11-27
- Description
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November 27, 1934. Caption on photo "#19A 11-27-34 Municipal Air Project-looking South from North end of completed runway."
- Title
- Burlington Airport (4X5's)
- Date Created
- 1934-1941
- Description
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June 12, 1935. Caption on photo : #2 - Burlington, VT. 6-12-35 V.E.R.A. Proj. 402-B15-1 Burlington Municipal Airport, East Section of E + W Runway, showing excavated material on either side being loaded with Power Shovel and used for grading, also drainage system being installed and crushed stone...
Show moreJune 12, 1935. Caption on photo : #2 - Burlington, VT. 6-12-35 V.E.R.A. Proj. 402-B15-1 Burlington Municipal Airport, East Section of E + W Runway, showing excavated material on either side being loaded with Power Shovel and used for grading, also drainage system being installed and crushed stone being placed on sand ? for stabilization work with Asphalt Emulsion.
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- Title
- Burlington Airport (4X5's)
- Date Created
- 1941-09-27
- Description
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September 27, 1941. Burlington Municipal Airport, WPA (Work Projects Administration) Project. This view is taken from the extreme southerly end of the diagonal runway looking in a northwesterly direction across the intersection of the easterly end of the east-west runway. This entire area has...
Show moreSeptember 27, 1941. Burlington Municipal Airport, WPA (Work Projects Administration) Project. This view is taken from the extreme southerly end of the diagonal runway looking in a northwesterly direction across the intersection of the easterly end of the east-west runway. This entire area has just been completed with the three inch cold plant mix pavement. The ten ton tandem roller can be seen at the left rolling the newly laid pavement while the construction crew are laying similar mixtures at the northerly end of the runway shown in the background.
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- Title
- Burlington Airport (4X5's)
- Date Created
- 1941-09-27
- Description
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September 27, 1941. Burlington Municipal Airport, WPA (Work Projects Administration) Project. This view is taken from a point at the intersection of the center line of the diagonal runway with the easterly shoulder of the north-south runway as shown by the joint across the foreground of the...
Show moreSeptember 27, 1941. Burlington Municipal Airport, WPA (Work Projects Administration) Project. This view is taken from a point at the intersection of the center line of the diagonal runway with the easterly shoulder of the north-south runway as shown by the joint across the foreground of the picture. The crew is laying cold asphalt plant mix three inches in thickness on the 4 1/2 inch stabilized base. Camel's Hump can be seen in the background almost directly in line with the center line of the runway.
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- Title
- Burlington Airport (4X5's)
- Date Created
- 1941-09-27
- Description
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September 27, 1941. Burlington Municipal Airport, WPA (Work Projects Administration) Project. This view is looking in a northwesterly direction near the intersection of the northerly end of the north-south runway. In the foreground at the right can be seen the cold plant mix asphalt pavement...
Show moreSeptember 27, 1941. Burlington Municipal Airport, WPA (Work Projects Administration) Project. This view is looking in a northwesterly direction near the intersection of the northerly end of the north-south runway. In the foreground at the right can be seen the cold plant mix asphalt pavement being constructed three inches in thickness on top of the asphalt emulsion soil stabilization base shown in the left half of the picture. Note the six wheel power graders used in spreading the plant mix.
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- Title
- Burlington City Hall Park
- Description
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City Hall Park, Burlington, fountain and elm trees looking toward College Street. To the extreme right is the Chittenden County Trust bank. Undated but may be late 1930s.
- Title
- Burlington City Hall Park
- Description
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June 4, 1938. City Hall Park, Burlington, groundskeepers
- Title
- Burlington Dump
- Description
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August 3, 1944. This view taken from a point on North Ave. over the tunnel shows the panoramic of the entire Cat's Island Area including the dumping area, the Salvage Depot and tool shack and the road leading up the grade to the intersection of North Bend and St. Louis Streets. Note the Central...
Show moreAugust 3, 1944. This view taken from a point on North Ave. over the tunnel shows the panoramic of the entire Cat's Island Area including the dumping area, the Salvage Depot and tool shack and the road leading up the grade to the intersection of North Bend and St. Louis Streets. Note the Central Vermont Railroad tracks to the left and the power line leading to the substation of the City Electric Light Plant.
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- Title
- Burlington Lakefront
- Description
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View of the Burlington lake front looking out over a brick building with smokestack toward the breakwater where a boat is approaching. Railroad cars and tracks are also pictured.
- Title
- Burlington Lakefront
- Description
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February 21, 1944. This view shows the dumping area at the foot of College St. in front of the Central Vermont Freight House. The snow dumped the night before was being bulldozed over the front of the dock into the lake when this picture was taken. Several thousand cubic yards of snow were dumped...
Show moreFebruary 21, 1944. This view shows the dumping area at the foot of College St. in front of the Central Vermont Freight House. The snow dumped the night before was being bulldozed over the front of the dock into the lake when this picture was taken. Several thousand cubic yards of snow were dumped at this point during the winter.
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- Title
- Burlington Sand and Gravel Plant
- Description
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Burlington Sand and Gravel Plant structures in Williston Undated but may be the 1930s
- Title
- Burlington Sand and Gravel Plant
- Description
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March 7, 1935. Photo #1 This view shows the reforestation project of the Street Department and our Sand and Gravel Plant in the Town of Williston. This plant includes an area of forty-eight acres with 45,000 spruces and pines set out in June 1933. The Gravel Bin can be seen in the background as...
Show moreMarch 7, 1935. Photo #1 This view shows the reforestation project of the Street Department and our Sand and Gravel Plant in the Town of Williston. This plant includes an area of forty-eight acres with 45,000 spruces and pines set out in June 1933. The Gravel Bin can be seen in the background as well as Mt. Mansfield in the far background. This area is the period of thirty or forty years will be of tremendous value to the city of Burlington through its growth of pine and spruce.
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- Title
- Burlington Sand and Gravel Plant
- Description
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July 27, 1938. View from the Burlington Sand and Gravel Plant in Williston showing chutes, workers, and smokestack in the distance