John Jay Barber (Sandusky, Ohio, 1839-1910)

Delaware Water Gap
1887
Oil on canvas
Bequest of Rachael Higgins and Mrs. Helen Hemmick
1982.15028

How much will it cost? $250

In Delaware Water Gap, Barber depicted not only the countryside's scenic beauty, he also captured a nation undergoing a profound transformation. Notice the railroad lines and massive pillars for a new bridge-both signs of the Transportation Revolution. Late-nineteenth-century improvements in travel and shipping allowed for more efficient transport of natural resources and finished goods.