BigShinyThing

This has also enabled brands to appropriate bygone glamour like never before. Witness Alexander McQueen’s referencing of Hitchcock blondes in his Autumn/Winter 2005/06 collection. And Cointreau’s latest twist on the ‘be cointreauversial’ (ouch) campaign features classic Getty images reappropriated for the brand. The prom blurb for the exhibition reads, “Cointreau and Getty Images Gallery present a tantalizing exhibition of photographs celebrating cointreauversial women with strength of spirit and a timeless sense of style”. Coincidentally, of course, it features archive images of icons such as Liz Taylor quaffing cocktails.

In the meantime, video iPods are seeing a rush for obscure 1960s shows that the networks no longer show (as well as the obligatory porn) and AOL have announced plans to release loads of classic TV online — maybe the first sensible thing the company has done as a result of its time up with Time Warner.

Now that everything is accessible — and so easily — what’s left to plunder?