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
- Title
- Burlington Streets: College Street
- Date Created
- 1929-10-19
- Description
-
Aug 25, 1929 dated photo. Pouring concrete base on College Street in front of College Street Congregational Church. Note the construction of the base showing dowels spaced 5' on centers. This concrete base was constructed in 3--10' slabs 6" in thickness with 30" gutters on either sides extending...
Show moreAug 25, 1929 dated photo. Pouring concrete base on College Street in front of College Street Congregational Church. Note the construction of the base showing dowels spaced 5' on centers. This concrete base was constructed in 3--10' slabs 6" in thickness with 30" gutters on either sides extending 2" above the concrete base allowing for the surface coarse of Asphalt 2" in thickness. This work is all done by City labor and City equipment of the Burlington Street Dept. Fletcher Free Library can be seen in the background on the right.
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- Title
- Burlington Streets: Main Street (Upper)
- Description
-
Winter view of Main Street with city street dept truck with snowplowing equipment attached. Crew members, one with snow shovel, stand nearby. What appears to be a three bay window church is seen behind the truck. Undated (1920s?)
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Union St.
- Description
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November 20, 1928. View is South Union looking north from Main Street showing the finished pavement of 2" black base with 2" asphalt top constructed on old telford base done by the Burlington Street Dept. Memorial Auditorium is to the left at the northwest corner of South Union and Main Streets....
Show moreNovember 20, 1928. View is South Union looking north from Main Street showing the finished pavement of 2" black base with 2" asphalt top constructed on old telford base done by the Burlington Street Dept. Memorial Auditorium is to the left at the northwest corner of South Union and Main Streets. On the same side of the street just to the north is the College Street Congregational Church. On the right are residences no longer in existence. See UVM's Historic Burlington Project, Burlington, Vermont, South of Pearl Street photographs from 1930s 1940s for more information.
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- Title
- Burlington Streets: Winooski Ave.
- Description
-
August 10, 1931. South Winooski Ave at the corner of Bank Street as indicated by the street sign stating Bank St. Piles of dirt are heaped onto the greenbelt (tree belt) as street dept crew do work. To the right can be seen the steeple and front columns of the Congo Church on So. Winooski Ave.