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: Barrett Street
- Description
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Photograph dated Sept. 5, 1941. Original caption reads: Barrett Street Improvements: This view shows the Rossetti residence in progress of being raised. Note the condition of the sill and the studding of the sidewalls; also note that the sidewalls are filled with brick and mortar in the spaces...
Show morePhotograph dated Sept. 5, 1941. Original caption reads: Barrett Street Improvements: This view shows the Rossetti residence in progress of being raised. Note the condition of the sill and the studding of the sidewalls; also note that the sidewalls are filled with brick and mortar in the spaces between studdings. This added considerable weight to the structure and with the rotten condition of the sills (the sill in the right foreground having been entirely gone and the sill shown in the picture is a new timber which had to be put in place before the house could be raised) made the raising process difficult.
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- Title
- Burlington Streets: Maple Street
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Undated photograph taken at the intersection of Pine and Maple Street showing the apartment building on the northwest corner of the intersection.
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- Burlington Streets: Winooski Ave.
- Description
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October 9, 1942. This view shows the grading and driveway construction being done by the Burlington Street Department including the concrete curb and driveways. USO Club (United Service Organizations) at 162-164 South Winooski Ave.
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Winooski Ave.
- Description
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October, 9, 1942. This view shows the newly constructed USO (United Service Organizations) Club building at 162-164 So. Winooski Ave. at the time the Burlington Street Department was grading the lawn at the front of the building and constructing the driveways at each entrance. Top soil was placed...
Show moreOctober, 9, 1942. This view shows the newly constructed USO (United Service Organizations) Club building at 162-164 So. Winooski Ave. at the time the Burlington Street Department was grading the lawn at the front of the building and constructing the driveways at each entrance. Top soil was placed on the newly graded area and grass seed was sown at this time.
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- Title
- Business Enterprises - A-B
- Description
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1947 photo of American Auto Paint Shop at 139-147 South Champlain St., Burlington, Vermont
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- Business Enterprises - A-B
- Description
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1935/1936 photo of Burlington Electric Motor Service.
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- Business Enterprises - A-B
- Description
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1947 photo of the American Auto Paint Shop at 61 Main Street, Burlington.
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- Business Enterprises - A-B
- Description
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Burlington Electric Motor Service Inc. with employees. Undated but may be 1935 / 1936.
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- Business Enterprises - A-B
- Description
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1947 photo of the American Auto Paint Shop.
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- Business Enterprises - A-B
- Description
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1947 photo of American Auto Paint Shop at 139-147 South Champlain St., Burlington, Vermont.
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- Business Enterprises - A-B
- Description
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G.S. Blodgett Co. in the early 1940s, an oven company, located at 50 Lakeside Ave, Burlington, Vermont.
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- Business Enterprises - A-B
- Description
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1935-1936 Burlington Electric Motor Service.
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- Business Enterprises - C-D
- Description
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1946/1947 photo of Colonial Esso filling station.
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- Business Enterprises - E-H
- Description
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Elias Lyman Coal Company Undated.
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- Business Enterprises - I-Z
- Description
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Auto filling / service / gas station.
- Title
- Business Enterprises - I-Z
- Description
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Elias Lyman Coal Company storage building with coal chutes. Undated.
- Title
- Camp Birchcliffe
- Description
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July 1945 photo of the interior of the main building on the grounds of Camp Birchcliffe, Grand Isle, Vermont. This may be a library, reading room or meeting room.
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- Camp Birchcliffe
- Description
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July 1945 photo of some of the cabins at Camp Birchcliffe, Grand Isle, Vermont.
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- Camp Birchcliffe
- Description
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July 1945 photo of an interior of a room with a fireplace and seating in the main building at Camp Birchcliffe, Grand Isle, Vermont.
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- Camp MacArthur (Waitsfield, VT)
- Description
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1944 Buildings in Waitsfield, Vermont; part of Camp MacArthur. Photo #12