New York sanitation workers encounter more that just garbage bags filled with food scraps and junk on their daily routes, they also occasionally come across beautiful paintings, posters and photographs. According to the New York Times, workers at the 99th street Sanitation Department between First and Second Avenues have found four electric guitars, painting of Winston Churchill, antiques and even an MBA diploma from Harvard.
The art takes up most of the second floor of the sanitation building. The collection consists of art collected over the past 20 years. Nelson Molina, a New York sanitation worker since 1981, started it all. He began collecting items along his route and decorating his locker area back at the sanitation building. Needless to say, the collection ballooned into much more than a few wall decorations."
City policy prohibits sanitation workers from keeping items found in the trash for personal use. However, since Molina has the items on display for others to see, the rule doesn’t apply in this case."