News
Treasures In The Trash
It’s a moving collection of everyday life in New York that stretches for three decades.
Called by its founder “The Treasures in the Trash Museum,” the collection is located in DSNY Sanitation Garage 11 on 99th street between First and Second Avenue.
One of six siblings, Nelson Molina was a poor kid. Around Christmas he would go out on the streets to look for objects in the trash he could fix up to gift to his brothers and sisters. “I was the Santa Claus in my family,” he remembers. His choice of work, in the sanitation department of NY, is not so surprising: it was a way to continue collecting interesting things.
More than 90% of the 50,000 items have be collected from Manhattan District. Objects range from door knobs to train sets, watches, chinaware, toys, paintings, and chairs, all grouped together by theme. Many pieces are still in working condition, from an old projector from the silent films era to dolls and toy trains and gym equipment.
The trash museum is not (yet?) open to the public, but you can schedule a visit by emailing the NYC Department of Sanitation at tours@dsny.nyc.gov.
Called by its founder “The Treasures in the Trash Museum,” the collection is located in DSNY Sanitation Garage 11 on 99th street between First and Second Avenue.
One of six siblings, Nelson Molina was a poor kid. Around Christmas he would go out on the streets to look for objects in the trash he could fix up to gift to his brothers and sisters. “I was the Santa Claus in my family,” he remembers. His choice of work, in the sanitation department of NY, is not so surprising: it was a way to continue collecting interesting things.
More than 90% of the 50,000 items have be collected from Manhattan District. Objects range from door knobs to train sets, watches, chinaware, toys, paintings, and chairs, all grouped together by theme. Many pieces are still in working condition, from an old projector from the silent films era to dolls and toy trains and gym equipment.
The trash museum is not (yet?) open to the public, but you can schedule a visit by emailing the NYC Department of Sanitation at tours@dsny.nyc.gov.