The Philadelphia Dumpster Divers are a group of Philadelphia-area based artists, collectors and friends who work largely with found objects and recycled materials. [1] The group was originally founded by neon sign artist Len Davidson and photojournalist Neil Benson. It first established itself on April Fools Day in 1992 with a core group of seven founding members along with Davidson and Benson including Harry Anderson, Kate Bartoldus, Dave Dobkin, Leo Sewell, and Joel Spivack. [2] The group originally met at a diner at 5th and Spring Garden, and had planned to call the group "The Dumpster Diners" to meet in diners and talk about found objects. They decided not to use the name since it was misleading, as it implied they were eating food found in dumpsters rather than making art. Their work appeared outside Pennsylvania in a New Jersey-themed exhibition at the Noyes Museum in 2009. [3] Mayor Michael Nutter officially recognized their efforts in creating sustainable art with a proclamation in 2012. [4]