For a full-motion view of the recent-ish past, see British MovieTone News, a Website of one-minute potraits of famous people and stereotyped scenes of British life dating back to 1929. Shot in black-and-white but candy-coloured all the way, these old newsreel clips are as interesting for the way the stories are told as for the stories themselves. See for yourself at: http://www.movietone-portraits.com/