chimney sweeper

On Aug. 8, 2016, Robert Jester, a retired high school biology teacher in Greenport, N.Y., who was moonlighting as a chimney sweeper — both to support his family and to enjoy the magnificent views — drove to a nearby neighborhood for a quick job.

If you burn wood, you probably know to have a certified chimney sweeper clean the chimney and inspect the fireplace annually.

“I keep getting drawn to big, baggy, sort of chimney sweeper trousers and tweeds. High-waisted, bunched up things and slightly odd shoes. I used to be quite flirty and sexy, and now it’s just like, ‘Do not fancy me’ clothes.

Scheller said a few customers do joke with him about his work, referencing the popular “Mary Poppins” movie about a chimney sweeper in England.

Other items include William Blake’s notebook containing his drawings and drafts for poems like “The Tyger” and “The Chimney Sweeper,” and a lock of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s hair.