Transcript of Oral History Interview with Homer James "Jim" Avery, August 14, 2008 (open access)

Transcript of Oral History Interview with Homer James "Jim" Avery, August 14, 2008

Interview with Homer James "Jim" Avery, founder of James Avery Craftsman from Kerrville, Texas. Mr. Avery discusses his childhood, education, service in World War II, and starting and developing his jewelry business. The interview includes photographs of Mr. Avery, on pages 35-41.
Date: August 14, 2008
Creator: Collins, Francelle Robison; Webb, Jeanie Archer; Leonard, Julie Mosty & Avery, Homer James
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Postcard of a Fire Department]

Postcard of a fire department at their station, lined up with three horse-drawn wagons outside of their respective garage doors. From left to right, the wagons are used for hose, fire engine, and ladder. A single fire fighter is standing on the ladder to the right. On the back of the postcard, the sender has left a handwritten message that says, "Dear Sir, I would like the court house bldg. of Austin in exch. Yours truly, Alvin Krause."
Date: unknown
Creator: Krause, Alvin
Object Type: Postcard
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Postcard of a Fire Station Interior]

Postcard of a fire engine house's interior, with several horse-drawn vehicles parked inside. The back corner has a staircase leading up, and a pole in the center of the room runs up to a hole in the ceiling. A handwritten message on the back of the postcard says, "would you like some cards of our zoo?"
Date: unknown
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Postcard
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Postcard with a Photo of a Robinson Engine in Milwaukee]

Postcard with a photograph of a "Robinson engine at Milwaukee." The truck in this picture belongs to the Los Angeles Fire Department in California, and has a large crowd standing around it.
Date: [1909..1912]
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Postcard
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Postcard with a Photo of the Milwaukee Fire Department Testing Equipment]

Postcard with a photograph of some of the fire engines in the Milwaukee Fire Department testing their hoses. The caption on the photograph reads: "Testing grounds Milwaukee." There are four fire trucks in the photograph yet only the one on the far right is testing its hose and spraying water into a river; the others have their hoses in the water but do not have their hoses spraying water into the river.
Date: [1909..1912]
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Postcard
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Postcard with a Photograph a Fire Truck in Milwaukee]

Postcard with a photograph of a fire truck traveling down a road in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This truck has two firemen sitting in the front seat and a large steamer engine loaded in the back.
Date: [1909..1912]
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Postcard
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Postcard with a Photograph a Webb Engine in Milwaukee]

Postcard with a photograph of a "Webb at Milwaukee," surrounded by firemen and civilian men. One of the firemen is hooking up a hose to the side of the truck with others standing around beside him.
Date: [1909..1912]
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Postcard
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Postcard with a Photograph of a Crowd in Milwaukee]

Postcard with a photograph of a large crowd of people gathered in a street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Date: [1909..1912]
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Postcard
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Postcard with a Photograph of a Large Building on Fire]

Postcard with a photograph of a large building on fire and firemen attempting to put it out. The firemen are standing on the ground in front of the building using their hoses to try to put out the flames; by this point most of the building has been destroyed, only pieces on the front wall are left standing.
Date: February 13, 1909
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Postcard
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Postcard with a Photograph of a Milwaukee Fire Boat]

Postcard with a photograph of a fire boat belonging to the Milwaukee Fire Department in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In this picture the boat is traveling down a body of water with smoke coming out of the smokestack in the center of the boat. The boat has three flags mounted, one at the front, middle, and back, and has a large water cannon mounted towards the front.
Date: [1909..1912]
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Postcard
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Postcard with a Photograph of a Parade in Milwaukee, Wisconsin]

Postcard with a photograph of a car going through a street during a parade in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This car is loaded with people and has an American flag mounted on the front; the sides of the street are filled with crowds of people.
Date: [1907..1912]
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Postcard
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Postcard with a Photograph of a Parade in Milwaukee, Wisconsin]

Postcard with a photograph of a parade taking place on a street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In this photo there is a car filled with people moving away from the camera and little kids chasing after it. In the center of the picture there is a trolley car sitting in the middle of street.
Date: [1907..1912]
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Postcard
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Postcard with a Photograph of a Test Session in Milwaukee]

Postcard with a photograph of a fire engine company in Milwaukee performing a test of their pumping and hoses. There is a large crowd of people watching the stream of water shooting into the river.
Date: [1909..1912]
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Postcard
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Postcard with a Photograph of an American LaFrance Fire Truck]

Postcard with a photograph of an American LaFrance fire truck in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There are around seven men looking this truck over while it is parked there.
Date: [1909..1912]
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Postcard
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Postcard with a Photograph of Five Firemen by a Frozen Building]

Postcard with a photograph showing five firemen standing in front of a building with ice covering it. There had been a fire that occurred here hence the ladders on the building and hoses strewn about on the ground. All of the firemen have exhausted expressions on their faces.
Date: [1909..1912]
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Postcard
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Postcard with a Photograph of Milwaukee Firemen and a Truck]

Postcard with a photograph of several Milwaukee firemen standing around one of their fire trucks loaded with a large hose in the back. A couple of the firemen are standing in the truck working with a large, rolled up water hose, while other men stand around on the bottom.
Date: [1909..1912]
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Postcard
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Postcard with a Photograph of the H. W. Johns-Manville Co. Fire in 1909]

Postcard with a photograph of a burning building in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The note on the back of the card says that this was the H. W. Johns-Manville Co. fire that killed six people: "1 ass't chief, 1 lieut., 4 pipemen." The photograph shows a number of firemen rushing to the scene with snow falling all around them and at least five high-pressured water streams shooting towards the building.
Date: February 13, 1909
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Postcard
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Postcard with an Image of a Fire in Milwaukee, Wisconsin]

Postcard with an image of a fire taking place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The photograph shows a large group of firemen of the Milwaukee Fire Department attempting to put out the fire by using their high-pressured water hoses causing large clouds of smoke to billow out.
Date: February 13, 1909
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Postcard
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Postcard with an Image of a Knox-Martin Fire Engine]

Postcard with a photograph of a Knox-Martin fire truck parked on a street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In this photograph the truck has a crowd of people standing next to it and looking it over.
Date: [1909..1912]
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Postcard
System: The Portal to Texas History