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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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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June 21, 1935. Photo #10. Caption on 1935 photo reads "# 10 Burlington Vt 6-21-35 VERA (Vermont Emergency Relief Administration) Proj # 402-B15-1, Burlington Municipal Airport - Distribution tank loading from ground storage tanks, and supply tank truck discharging into storage tank." Side view of...
Show moreJune 21, 1935. Photo #10. Caption on 1935 photo reads "# 10 Burlington Vt 6-21-35 VERA (Vermont Emergency Relief Administration) Proj # 402-B15-1, Burlington Municipal Airport - Distribution tank loading from ground storage tanks, and supply tank truck discharging into storage tank." Side view of one truck has sign attached to it reading "Burlington Street Dept."
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- Title
- Burlington Airport
- Description
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Partially constructed hangar of the Burlington Municipal Airport (to become Burlington International Airport) in this dated June 8, 1937 photo. Propeller driven airplane sits near the structure. McAllister's name embossed and can be seen just above the handwritten date.
- 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
- Description
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Burlington Street Department, Burlington, Vt. Photo dated March 4,1944 This view shows the Snow King Rotary Plow operated by the Walter Snow Fighter truck blowing snow from Burlington Municipal runways. Note the force and distance at which the snow is blown, also note the depth of the snow as...
Show moreBurlington Street Department, Burlington, Vt. Photo dated March 4,1944 This view shows the Snow King Rotary Plow operated by the Walter Snow Fighter truck blowing snow from Burlington Municipal runways. Note the force and distance at which the snow is blown, also note the depth of the snow as shown by the picket fence and the boundary light below the surface of the snow in the foreground.
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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
- 1941-09-04
- Description
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September 4, 1941. Burlington Municipal Airport, WPA (Work Projects Administration) Project. This view is taken from the extreme southerly end of the new diagonal runway looking in the northwesterly direction. The equipment in the foreground is completing the mixing and spreading of the asphalt...
Show moreSeptember 4, 1941. Burlington Municipal Airport, WPA (Work Projects Administration) Project. This view is taken from the extreme southerly end of the new diagonal runway looking in the northwesterly direction. The equipment in the foreground is completing the mixing and spreading of the asphalt emulsion soil stabilization base. The windrows of mixed soil base can be seen in the left foreground as well as the final application of emulsified asphalt which has just been applied to the area in the right foreground which is being bladed into the surface to enrich the top one inch in depth.
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- 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 Street Department Buildings - Equipment
- Description
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Dec. 13, 1937. Snow plow in operation, possibly at the Burlington Airport.
- Title
- Burlington Street Department Buildings - Equipment
- Description
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Undated photograph of a snow plow in operation, possibly at the Burlington Airport.
- Title
- Earhart, Amelia
- Description
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Undated photograph taken at the Burlington Airport of eight men and women standing in front of a small airplane. A labeled and string wrapped package rests on the ground. A logo with a winged horse and the letters "FA" seen on plane's tail. May be 1934.
- Title
- Earhart, Amelia
- Description
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May 22, 1934 photo on the occasion of Amelia Earhart's first visit to Burlington for Women's Day. Original caption reads: Burlington Municipal Airport. Mayor James Burke center holding his hat, Amelia in center, Jack Shearer is the boy with pillow and Key to the City, Mrs. J. P. Dower to the...
Show moreMay 22, 1934 photo on the occasion of Amelia Earhart's first visit to Burlington for Women's Day. Original caption reads: Burlington Municipal Airport. Mayor James Burke center holding his hat, Amelia in center, Jack Shearer is the boy with pillow and Key to the City, Mrs. J. P. Dower to the right. In the back (between Burke and Earhart) is Mrs. A. H. Heiniger who was a passenger. Former Mayor Spear (in tweed jacket) is just behind Jack.
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- Title
- Earhart, Amelia
- Description
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May 22, 1934 photo of the occasion of Amelia Earhart's first visit to Burlington. Original caption reads: Burlington Municipal Airport, Mayor Burke welcoming Amelia Earhart. Left with back to camera is Mayor James Burke, the boy with the pillow is Jack Shearer with the Key to the City, to the...
Show moreMay 22, 1934 photo of the occasion of Amelia Earhart's first visit to Burlington. Original caption reads: Burlington Municipal Airport, Mayor Burke welcoming Amelia Earhart. Left with back to camera is Mayor James Burke, the boy with the pillow is Jack Shearer with the Key to the City, to the right is Mrs. J. P. Dower (member of the Zonta Club)
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- Title
- Portraits - Unidentified Groups
- Description
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1935 / 1936 winter photo of a group of well-dressed, influential men standing in front of an airplane, presumably at Burlington Int'l Airport. On the left is a delivery truck owned by Railway Express Agency, which had headquarters at 111 St. Paul St., Burlington. The City Directory lists Herbert...
Show more1935 / 1936 winter photo of a group of well-dressed, influential men standing in front of an airplane, presumably at Burlington Int'l Airport. On the left is a delivery truck owned by Railway Express Agency, which had headquarters at 111 St. Paul St., Burlington. The City Directory lists Herbert E. Fitch as agent. Also on the left: a boy with his dog that sits on a crate with sign "Live Dog". Occasion and purpose of photo unknown.
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