Joshua Tree National Monument

Humans have occupied the area encompassed by Joshua Tree National Park's nearly 800,000 acres for at least 5,000 years. The first group known to... more

by Barbara Snyder

Title

Joshua Tree National Monument

Artist

Barbara Snyder

Medium

Digital Art - Digital Reproduction

Description

Humans have occupied the area encompassed by Joshua Tree National Park's nearly 800,000 acres for at least 5,000 years. The first group known to inhabit the area was the Pinto Culture, followed by the Serrano, the Chemehuevi, and the Cahuilla.

In the 1800s cattlemen drove their cows into the area for the ample grass available at the time and built water impoundments for them. Miners dug tunnels through the earth looking for gold and made tracks across the desert with their trucks. Homesteaders began filing claims in the 1900s. They built cabins, dug wells, and planted crops

Each group left its mark upon the land and contributed to the rich cultural history of Joshua Tree National Park. The park protects 501 archeological sites, 88 historic structures, 19 cultural landscapes, and houses 123,253 items in its museum collections.

After the area became a national monument in 1936, local and regional residents were the primary park visitors. As Southern California grew so did park visitation; Joshua Tree now lies within a three-hour drive of more than 18 million people. Since Joshua Tree was elevated from national monument to national park status in 1994 however, greater numbers of visitors from around the nation and the world come to experience Joshua Tree National Park.

Original photography by Barbara Snyder M.A.Ed.
Barbara lives on the Central Coast of California. As a California native she has always felt the allure of the great variety of natural features offered in her home state. Born in Santa Maria, California, Barbara graduated from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo as a history major, English minor. She earned her Master's degree in education from the same university and began a teaching career that has spanned over 3 decades.
During that time photography has always been a part of her life and has been enhanced by the opportunities for summer travel and finding new subjects and interests to expand her photographic endeavors. . Being a co-owner of an art and frame gallery several years past has provided experiences that have added to her repertoire of skills and versatility in thinking. Barbara has been featured in Strictly Business Magazine, a Central Coast publication, designed to showcase local talents and to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit. She has also written several articles and provided photographic contributions to that and other publications. Whether it is seascapes, vineyards, dessert, mountains, forest and all that in between, the pursuit of "fresh, natural and alive" subjects and scenes has inspired Barbara's work.

She has shown a special fascination in her most recent works with the tropical features of Hawaii and the dessert landscapes of Arizona. Barbara's work offers a simplistic, rich view of life. Her work has been acclaimed as sensitive photography dedicated to bringing otherwise little noticed scenes to the public eye. Barbara's has brought the peace and tranquility of nature into so many homes. Her images hold the viewer with their sheer beauty and visual appeal that provide the lyrical commentary of nature's many gifts.

Uploaded

January 13th, 2014