Here’s Why Carnegie Deli Threw Out All Their Celebrity Photos After They Closed Down

A few weeks ago, New York’s Carnegie deli closed their pastrami-slinging doors forever. The iconic delicatessen served skyscrapers they called sandwiches to both celebrities and everyday patrons alike.

One of the more notable aesthetics of the restaurant were the walls lined with autographed photos of celebrities that walked through Carnegie’s doors. They had everyone from former presidents to movie stars to artists.

So what did the deli do with those framed photos after they closed down?

According to DNAinfo, the photos were thrown out. Yep, they chucked them into a plastic bin on the street.

Before you get your pitchforks and oil-drench torches out at why such memorabilia was so easily discarded, Carnegie had a reason for throwing the photographs out.

Sarri Harper, daughter of owner Marian Harper, said they wanted to do something nice for the neighborhood. Locals and passersby were welcome to rummage through the bin and take home a piece of Carnegie. If patrons were lucky enough, they could find the specific celebrity they were looking for in the sea of stars.

Originally, Marian Harper just wanted to throw out the photos signed specifically to her ex-husband. The idea, it seems, grew into something much more grand.

The only major portrait the family decided to keep, however, was one of Woody Allen himself, whom one of their most popular sandwiches was named after. Man, that sandwich still haunts our dreams. Beautiful.

So long, Carnegie Deli. This is goodbye for real now.