Marks & Spencer’s archive is a window on 20th-century Britain

Consider theMS corpse. Or to be more precise: consider its underpants. When the body was finally pulled from the in 1994, most clues to its identity had gone. A few facts remained. It was clear that the man had been very tall (six feet five inches); that he was well-dressed (he had fancy loafers on his feet); and that whatever had led to him bobbing in the North Sea had not been nice (his head was injured). But knowing more—and dating his death—would be difficult.Except for one thing: his underwear. For in his pants was a small, white label. It stated that they were medium, that they were 100% cotton and, best of all, that they were made by “St Michael”. Suddenly there was hope. This was not just a corpse. This was an & corpse.