Name: Bill Rody
Job: Caretaker of the photo collection at Big Chick’s bar
Q. What exactly do you do?
A. I take care of the art collection at Big Chick’s. I clean and dust the glass. I just use Windex with ammonia. I dust off the top, occasionally hammer back or screw up a frame. There’s enough nicotine smoke that it has to be cleaned every other day.
Q. How did you wind up doing this?
A. Well, I’m a writer too, I write for Real Blues magazine in Canada, but I was between jobs then, just freelancing. And I’ve known Michelle [Fire, the bar owner and photography collector] for about 20 years. She said you can come and help me for a day. And then it was another day, and now it’s just what I do.
Q. When are the photos in the worst shape?
A. Whenever I’m not here for a week, it’s awful. Then it’s all brown and grimy, especially with the nicotine. Of course, most customers really can’t see how bad it is. But I can tell.
Q. Since you’re a writer too, do you ever make up stories in your head to go along with the images on the wall?
A. Oh, I’ve imagined a few things. But mostly I’d like to meet the artists. Fifteen years down the road, whether I’m working here or not, I know I’ll remember these pictures.