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
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- Date Created
- 1931-09-27
- Description
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Sept 27, 1931 dated photo of Elmwood Ave looking north from the intersection of Pearl Street. Telephone poles and Elm streets line the road. To the right is the fenced property of the Unitarian Church. To the extreme left, barely visible, is a Texaco gas station. This corner on the left now...
Show moreSept 27, 1931 dated photo of Elmwood Ave looking north from the intersection of Pearl Street. Telephone poles and Elm streets line the road. To the right is the fenced property of the Unitarian Church. To the extreme left, barely visible, is a Texaco gas station. This corner on the left now houses the Post Office.
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- Description
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Undated view of Riverside Ave with the Fairview Garage on the far left. A billboard advertising the New Sherwood Hotel in Burlington, Vt can be seen.
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- Description
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Undated view of the Burlington Street Dept. crew paving Riverside Ave. at one of the bends leading to Winooski. Large chunks of stone lay in the roadway as men stand alongside with shovels. To the right is seen a portion of Fairview Garage.
- Title
- Burlington Streets: Riverside Ave.(4X5)
- Description
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Undated view of Burlington Street Dept crew paving Riverside Ave. The crew form a line across the road as they spread surface material. A team of white horses stand to the left. The Riverside Service Station is to the right. Billboards line the hillside behind. In the distance is the Fairview...
Show moreUndated view of Burlington Street Dept crew paving Riverside Ave. The crew form a line across the road as they spread surface material. A team of white horses stand to the left. The Riverside Service Station is to the right. Billboards line the hillside behind. In the distance is the Fairview Garage.
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- Description
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Photograph dated June 30, 1942. Original caption reads: This view is taken from a point in front of the Texaco Filling Station looking southerly with Locust St. intersection to the right and Ledge Rd. and So. Willard St. to the left. This view shows the newly constructed concrete base with the...
Show morePhotograph dated June 30, 1942. Original caption reads: This view is taken from a point in front of the Texaco Filling Station looking southerly with Locust St. intersection to the right and Ledge Rd. and So. Willard St. to the left. This view shows the newly constructed concrete base with the new concrete light post and light, but before the new concrete curb in the shape of a tear drop had been constructed.
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- Title
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- Description
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October 29, 1940. This view shows the sidewalk improvement by the Burlington Street Dept. under construction at a point opposite All Saints' Chapel on South Willard Street opposite the Texaco Filling Station. Note the forms being placed for reconstructing the concrete steps leading to the Chapel,...
Show moreOctober 29, 1940. This view shows the sidewalk improvement by the Burlington Street Dept. under construction at a point opposite All Saints' Chapel on South Willard Street opposite the Texaco Filling Station. Note the forms being placed for reconstructing the concrete steps leading to the Chapel, also the large amount of grading and excavating being done on the area between the new sidewalk and the curb; also the terrace back of the sidewalk. The dark area in the foreground is resurfacing of the shoulder of the street where the curb had been reset and the street widened in front of the old house which for many years obstructed the view at this point and extended into the street several feet causing an angle in the curb at this point. This house was removed to provide for the new Shell Filling Station.
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- Title
- Burlington Streets: Winooski Ave.
- Description
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Undated but may be 1939 view of So. Winooski Ave. looking south at the intersection of Main Street. To the left men work on street construction project near the corner Herbert Auto Service at 204-206 So. Winooski selling Gulf. To the right is the Strong Theater building and Strong Hardware at 205...
Show moreUndated but may be 1939 view of So. Winooski Ave. looking south at the intersection of Main Street. To the left men work on street construction project near the corner Herbert Auto Service at 204-206 So. Winooski selling Gulf. To the right is the Strong Theater building and Strong Hardware at 205-207 So. Winooski. A two story tall billboard structure is seen to the west side of the auto service store.
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- Title
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- Description
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Undated photograph of the Tydol gas station that was located at 54-56 North Winooski Avenue at the corner of Grant St. This structure was destroyed by fire in 2003.