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: Cliff Street
- Date Created
- 1938-08-10
- Description
-
An operator drives one of the City of Burlington Asphalt Distributor vehicles during the paving construction of Cliff Street at the intersection with Summit(?) Street sign post seen to the right. View is from the top of the street looking down the hill. McAllister studio name embossed in lower...
Show moreAn operator drives one of the City of Burlington Asphalt Distributor vehicles during the paving construction of Cliff Street at the intersection with Summit(?) Street sign post seen to the right. View is from the top of the street looking down the hill. McAllister studio name embossed in lower right above date. Aug. 10, 1938.
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- Title
- Burlington Streets: Colchester Ave
- Date Created
- undated
- Description
-
Undated photo but may be Fall of 1929 with street construction crew working to repave Colchester Ave with concrete slabs. View is from the base of the avenue at Barrett Street looking up the hill. Similar photos can be seen on the UVM's Historic Burlington Project web site.
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Main Street (Upper)
- Description
-
July 20, 1934 view of Main Street being resurfaced. Probably the same construction project N. R. M. #60B as seen in photo mcalA05F15i09. One half of the road is laid with crushed material. To the right a sign warns motorists "Danger, street construction, workmen ahead, drive slowly"
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Winooski Ave.
- Description
-
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 First Congregational Church on So. Winooski Ave.