The Harmony Motel sign in Twentynine Palms, California, is an iconic symbol of desert Americana, established in 1952. With its retro design and neon glow, the sign serves as a nostalgic reminder of mid-century roadside architecture, often attracting photographers and travelers exploring the Mojave Desert.
Room Four:
It’s been over three decades since I sat by a hotel pool in Cavalaire-sur-Mer, gazing out over the Gulf of Saint-Tropez in the south of France, drinking an ice-cold beer. I was 27, on vacation, and savoring everything the French Riviera had to offer. As I relaxed in that idyllic setting, I heard a cassette copy of U2’s The Joshua Tree playing in the background. Gesturing my interest to a young French woman lounging in a nearby deck chair, she passed me the cassette case. I was immediately captivated by the black-and-white images on the cover and insert. The photography drew me in with its stark, striking compositions. Additionally, the printed lyrics in the booklet struck me as remarkably original. The slow, bluesy guitar intro that initially caught my attention was the track “Running to Stand Still.”
I have never considered myself a U2 fan; in fact, I have only ever owned one album—The Joshua Tree—after that initial hearing. Aside from this album, I never really connected with their music. However, after uncovering some elements of the album’s backstory and while traveling through Southern California recently, I sought out the Harmony Motel in Twentynine Palms, specifically Room Four, for its historic connection to the album’s photography.
The Harmony Motel, September 4, 2024.
For over seven decades, the Harmony Motel has beckoned travelers seeking respite from the ordinary, drawing in a diverse array of guests ranging from musicians and artists to adventurous souls captivated by the allure of the desert. Stepping into the motel is akin to stepping into the annals of rock history. One of the motel's more notable features is its striking neon sign, adorned with musical notes, which has become an emblem of its charm. Photographer Anton Corbijn immortalized this iconic sign during a photo shoot with U2, who stayed at the motel while capturing the photography for The Joshua Tree album cover.
Steve Averill, the album designer, meticulously crafted the cover to embody U2's vision of presenting the album's imagery in a bold black-and-white series, evoking a grand cinematic atmosphere set in the desert. During this period, the band entertained two potential album titles: “The Desert Songs” and “The Two Americas,” both inspired by the initial concept of contrasting the vast desert landscapes with urban life.” Opting to shoot in the United States, they tasked their photographer, Anton Corbijn, with discovering locations that would perfectly encapsulate their creative vision.
In December 1986, U2 spent several weeks traveling with Corbijn and Averill on a bus crossing the Mojave Desert, capturing supporting photography for the album cover and centerfold. During the trip, they lodged in small mom-and-pop motels while photographing the band against the backdrop of desert scenery. The journey concluded at the Harmony Motel, where the band rented the entire complex and utilized Room Four as their conference room. This room holds a deep-rooted history with the album's creation, serving as the setting for daily meetings to discuss the progress of the shoot, review images, and finalize the selections and positioning for the album sleeve. These discussions in Room 4 resulted in an album cover that captivated my imagination, reminiscent of the moment I sat by a hotel pool in the south of France.​​​​​​​
An exterior shot of the front of Room Four at the Harmony Hotel taken on September 7, 2024.
An interior shot of Room Four as it stands today (September 8, 2024). In December 1986, this unassuming space transformed into a makeshift conference room where pivotal decisions shaped the creation of an album that would forever alter the music landscape. Ideas born here fueled the rise of a relatively unknown band to global superstardom, and eventually earned The Joshua Tree a spot in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry, leaving an indelible mark on both music history and my imagination.
According to Corbijn's account, he rented a panoramic camera to better capture the vast desert landscapes. However, due to his lack of familiarity with the equipment, many of the wider images focused on the horizon, causing the band to appear slightly "out of focus" due to depth-of-field fall-off. "Fortunately, there was a lot of light," Corbijn remarked. The primary goal of the shoot, he explained, was to contrast "man and environment, the Irish in America." Averill further elaborated that their photographic approach aimed to reflect the "landscape vision and cinematic approach" that characterized the album's recording.
The iconic Joshua tree featured throughout the album artwork was located in the Mojave Desert near Darwin, California. Corbijn had introduced the band to Joshua trees, describing them as hardy, twisted plants unique to the American Southwest, and suggested their inclusion on the sleeve to emphasize the American theme. Bono, intrigued by the religious significance of the plant's etymology, delved into its history. According to Mormon legend, early settlers named the plant after the Old Testament prophet Joshua, as the tree's stretching branches reminded them of Joshua raising his hands in prayer.
While driving on Route 190, they spotted a lone-standing tree in the desert. Corbijn had hoped to find a single tree, believing it would result in better photographs than if he shot the band among a group of trees. They stopped the bus and spent about 20 minutes photographing with the lone plant, a moment The Edge described as "fairly spontaneous." Despite shooting in the desert, it was December and cold. Bono explained, "It was freezing, and we had to take our coats off so it would at least look like a desert. That's one of the reasons we look so grim." Regarding the serious tone of the images, Corbijn remarked, "I guess people felt they took themselves too seriously. It was definitely the most serious, I think, that you can photograph a band. You couldn't go any further down that line unless you start photographing graves."
A few days later, in Room Four, Bono made the pivotal announcement that the album would be titled The Joshua Tree. The album went on to achieve critical acclaim, selling more than 25 million copies worldwide, producing two chart-topping singles, and serving as the inspiration for not one but two of the highest-grossing concert tours in history. In recognition of its cultural significance, The Joshua Tree was added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry in 2013. Thus, the contributions of the Harmony Motel and Room Four to the album's legacy are etched into history.
Standing tall against the desert backdrop, this iconic Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) epitomizes resilience with its spiky leaves and distinctive silhouette. Rooted in sandy soil, the tree thrives in harsh conditions, unique to the American Southwest. This particular specimen bears an uncanny resemblance to the one featured on U2’s The Joshua Tree album cover, capturing the timeless allure of the species. Named after the biblical figure Joshua, these trees can live for centuries, adapting to their arid environment with remarkable endurance.
In the vast expanse of the Mojave Desert, silence stretches beyond the horizon. Black-and-white tones reveal the raw beauty of this unforgiving landscape, where rugged terrain and vast emptiness converge. Here, amidst ancient rock formations, the inspiration for the imagery for U2's iconic album 'The Joshua Tree' was born. In this panoramic view, the stark allure of the desert speaks of endurance and resilience, echoing the rugged beauty of its landscape.
Image Comparisons:
This series revisits key locations from The Joshua Tree album, comparing Anton Corbijn’s original 1986 photos with their present-day counterparts. As a photographer, I was captivated by these images from the moment I first saw them poolside at a hotel in the mid-eighties. There was something about the stark, desolate beauty Corbijn captured—his ability to distill vast, empty landscapes into something intimate and powerful—that resonated deeply with my own creative eye.
Back then, I couldn’t have imagined that one day I’d stand in the very spots where Corbijn immortalized these scenes. Now, seeing those same landscapes in person is a surreal experience. For me, it’s not just revisiting the places that defined the album’s visual identity, but also reliving the emotions and inspiration I felt as a photographer when these images first captured my imagination. This comparison reflects both the enduring artistic impact of The Joshua Tree and my personal connection to the imagery.
In 1987, The Joshua Tree became much more than just an album for me—it was an emotional lifeline during a time of despair. I was going through a failed marriage, which I remained in for another decade, waiting for my son to finish high school. Songs like “Running to Stand Still” felt deeply personal. While its lyrics were inspired by heroin addiction in Dublin, the song resonated with my own feelings of being trapped in an impossible situation. That sense of helplessness mirrored what I was going through at the time, and the album became a form of psychological escape. The power of The Joshua Tree lies in its universal appeal—you don’t need to know every song’s backstory to connect with the emotions they evoke. Thirty-seven years later, the impact remains just as strong, and revisiting these locations adds a layer of personal reflection tied to those difficult years.
Zabriskie Point:
Zabriskie Point: The album cover for The Joshua Tree has undergone various redesigns over the years, but the original 1986 version, photographed by Anton Corbijn, remains iconic for its stark desert landscape and timeless appeal. | Image: Anton Corbijn, 1986.
Zabriskie Point: Today, in 2024, the landscape still reflects the stark beauty captured by Corbijn in 1986.
The Harmony Motel:
The Edge (left), Bono (center), Larry Mullen Jr. (center-right), and Adam Clayton (right) photographed under the iconic Harmony Motel sign in 1987 during their photography tour of the Mojave Desert | Image: Anton Corbijn, 1986.

The iconic Harmony Motel sign still stands as a landmark in 2024

Bodie Ghost Town:
Anton Corbijn found inspiration in Bodie Ghost Town, renowned for its remarkable preservation and eerie, stark desert aesthetic. The haunting landscape and weathered structures provided a captivating backdrop that echoes the themes of isolation and beauty in his work. The four band members were captured in front of the Bodie Hotel at the intersection of Main Street and Green Street | Image: Anton Corbijn, 1986.
In September 2024, the haunting beauty of Bodie Ghost Town remains unchanged, with its remarkable preservation and stark desert aesthetic still captivating visitors. This image captures the same scene where Anton Corbijn photographed the band, showcasing the weathered Bodie Hotel—a timeless backdrop that continues to evoke themes of isolation and beauty.
The Joshua Tree Site:
The original site of the Joshua Tree, located off Highway 190 near Darwin, California, served as a pivotal backdrop for Anton Corbijn’s iconic photograph of the four band members. This striking image captures the essence of the Mojave Desert, highlighting the tree’s stark beauty and the band’s connection to the landscape, which became the central piece of the album centerfold | Image: Anton Corbijn, 1986.
The original site of the Joshua Tree is located off Highway 190 near Darwin, California. While the album’s songs have been preserved in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry, the tree itself sadly lies dead on the floor of the Mojave Desert. It is believed to have fallen around 2000.
Reference Materials:
u2songs | U2 - “The Joshua Tree” Album (Original Release) |. (n.d.). U2Songs, https://www.u2songs.com/discography/u2_the_joshua_tree_album_original_release
U2. (2024, June 8). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U2​​​​​​​
Image Sorce:
Corbijn, A. (1986). Irish band U2 photographed at Zabriskie Point, Death Valley [Photograph].
Corbijn, A. (1986). Irish band U2 photographed at the Harmony Motel, Twentynine Palms, California [Photograph].
Corbijn, A. (1986). Irish band U2 photographed Bodie Ghost Town, California [Photograph].
Corbijn, A. (1986). Irish band U2 photographed at the Joshua tree, Darwin, California [Photograph].
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