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
- Portraits - Children
- Description
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1957 or 1958 photo of two children standing in front of their Christmas tree surrounded by presents the family received. A baby carriage, dolls, a toy airplane, labeled box with air rifle outfit, a toaster and clothes are seen displayed. See also mcalB14F09i01
- Title
- Portraits - Children
- Description
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1952 photo of what may be the same children seen in mcalB14F06i09. Seen here during another Christmas with their toys. Older girl and her younger sister each hold a doll. Their older brother stands beside them with a toy cash register placed on the floor in front of him.
- Title
- Portraits - Children
- Description
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1956 or 1957 photo of four children in front of the Christmas tree with their toys. Same family of children [plus one?] as in mcalB14F05i15 taken in 1949 or 1950? See also mcalB14F09i02
- Title
- Portraits - Children
- Description
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1959 Christmas portrait photo of same children (plus one) as seen in mcalB14F09i01 and mcalB14F09i04. Their baby sibling sits between them.
- Title
- Portraits - Children
- Description
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1957 or 1958 photo of two children standing in front of their Christmas tree surrounded by presents the family received. A baby carriage, dolls, a toy airplane, labeled box with air rifle outfit, a toaster and clothes are seen displayed. See also mcalB14F09i04
- Title
- Portraits - Children
- Description
-
1956 or 1957 photo of four children in front of the Christmas tree with their toys. Same family of children [plus one?] as in mcalB14F05i15 taken in 1949 or 1950? See also mcalB14F08i02
- Title
- Portraits - Children
- Description
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1945 portrait photo of a one year old girl seated in an upholstered child's chair next to a table with a birthday cake. One candle is on the cake. Two dolls and a toy stuffed elephant stand on the floor near the table.
- Title
- Portraits - Children
- Description
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Three young children pose next to their Christmas tree with gifts. The girl holds a small hard plastic doll that may be a Vogue Ginny popular in the 1950s. Other presents are arranged in a display around the tree and on the upholstered chair in which the boys sit. See also mcalB14F11i08
- Title
- Portraits - Children
- Description
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1946 or 1947 photo of a young girl in the living room seated in an upholstered chair with her dolls and the family dog.
- Title
- Portraits - Children
- Description
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1951 photo of same children seen in 1949 photo mcalB14F05i15. Seen here during another Christmas with their toys. Older girl holds two dolls. Other dolls sit in a toy highchairs. Youngest holds the handle of a baby carriage. Holiday cards adorn the fireplace mantle. Another photo is mcalB14F06i07
- Title
- Portraits - Children
- Description
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1945 photo of a young girl in a living room seated on the arm of an upholstered chair. She holds a doll. Beside her is a doll's crib. Behind her is a Christmas tree.
- Title
- Portraits - Children
- Description
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Two images of an infant girl with large bow in her hair seated in the corner of an upholstered couch. She wears a ring and a bracelet. In one image she holds a composition Mama-type baby doll that has a wide frilled bonnet.
- Title
- Portraits - Children
- Description
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1951 photo of same children seen in 1949 photo mcalB14F05i15. Seen here during another Christmas with their toys. Older girl holds two dolls. Another doll sits in a toy highchair. Holiday cards adorn the fireplace mantle. Another photo is mcalB14F06i09
- Title
- Portraits - Children
- Description
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1952 photo of the same children seen in mcalB14F06i10. Seen here standing in front of their Christmas tree with their toys. Older girl and her younger sister each hold a doll. Their older brother stands between them.
- Title
- Portraits - Children
- Description
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1945 photo of a young boy in his home seated on a rocking horse with other toys and the family Christmas tree. A framed photo of a soldier is placed on the floor among the toys that include a soldier doll.
- Title
- Portraits - Family
- Description
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1944 indoor photo of mother and daughter who holds a large composition doll with sleep eyes. (Photo apparently damaged.) See also mcalB14F16i03
- Title
- Portraits - Family
- Description
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1944 outdoor photo of young family--husband, wife, two sons, possibly twins, and a daughter who holds a mask face cloth doll. See also mcalB14F15i01.
- Title
- Portraits - Family
- Description
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1944 indoor photo of a mother and her daughter who holds a composition doll with sleep eyes. See also mcalB14F14i09.
- Title
- Portraits - Family
- Description
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1944 outdoor photo of husband, wife, two sons (twins?) and a daughter who holds a mask face cloth doll.
- Title
- Portraits - Family
- Description
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1945 indoor photo of four very excited children and their mother at Christmas time. A portrait of their father, very likely, is on the fireplace mantel (left) where stockings are hung. The girls each hold a doll, the little boy in a sailor suit may be holding a toy piano. Just visible to the left...
Show more1945 indoor photo of four very excited children and their mother at Christmas time. A portrait of their father, very likely, is on the fireplace mantel (left) where stockings are hung. The girls each hold a doll, the little boy in a sailor suit may be holding a toy piano. Just visible to the left are tinker toys.
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