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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Show more1957 photo of a Veterans Day ceremony at Battery Park. A man in uniform places a wreath at the VFW memorial site dedicated to Howard W. Plant, as a small crowd of women veterans (wearing garrison caps) and children look on. Weather on this day was chilly, with 15-25 mph winds, according to the Burlington Free Press. The other possible occasion may be the 40th anniversary of Plant's death (6 Dec., 1917).
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1957 photo of a veterans' ceremony at Battery Park in Burlington, Vt., perhaps on Veterans Day. Crowd consists of men and women veterans (many wearing uniforms and/or garrison caps), and children. This gathering is at the Howard William Plant memorial. Plant, as the plaque states, was the "first...
Show more1957 photo of a veterans' ceremony at Battery Park in Burlington, Vt., perhaps on Veterans Day. Crowd consists of men and women veterans (many wearing uniforms and/or garrison caps), and children. This gathering is at the Howard William Plant memorial. Plant, as the plaque states, was the "first Burlington boy" to die in World War I. VFW Post #782 is named the "Howard Plant Post" in his honor. Plant died in 1917, so this ceremony marked the 40th anniversary of his death.
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Same event as in mcalB21F12i02 but with a different veteran speaking at the microphone. Very likely Veterans Day at Battery Park.
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