Quick script for Sean to get those remote images...

gistfile1.php

<?php

function get_product_images($url, $product_number, $sku)
{

  if( empty($product_number) || empty($sku) || empty($url) ) return false;
  
  $return = array(
    'MediaItem1' => '', 
    'MediaItem2' => '',
    'MediaItem3' => '',
    'MediaItem4' => ''
  );
  
  $get = array(
    'count' => 5,
    'keyword' => $sku,
    'category' => 'all',
    'echo' => array(
      'productNumber',
      'sku',
      'images[0].storeMediaItem.small',
      'images[0].storeMediaItem.medium',
      'images[0].storeMediaItem.large',
      'images[1].storeMediaItem.small',
      'images[1].storeMediaItem.medium',
      'images[1].storeMediaItem.large',
      'images[2].storeMediaItem.small',
      'images[2].storeMediaItem.medium',
      'images[2].storeMediaItem.large',
      'images[3].storeMediaItem.small',
      'images[3].storeMediaItem.medium',
      'images[3].storeMediaItem.large',
    )
  );
  
  $request = $url . '?' . preg_replace('/echo%5B\d+%5D/', 'echo', http_build_query($get));
  $response = json_decode(str_replace('/* no-timeout */', '', file_get_contents($request)), true);
  $results = $response['echo']['results'];

  if( ! empty($results))
  {
    foreach($results as $result)
    {

      if( $result['productNumber'] == $product_number )
      {
      
        $images = array();
      
        for( $i = 0; $i < 3; $i++ )
        {
               
          $small = $result["images[{$i}].storeMediaItem.small"];
          $medium = $result["images[{$i}].storeMediaItem.medium"];
          $large = $result["images[{$i}].storeMediaItem.large"];

          if( ! empty($large))
          {
            $image = $large;
          } 
          else if ( ! empty($medium))
          {
            $image = $medium;
          } 
          else if ( ! empty($small))
          {
            $image = $small;
          } 
          else 
          {
            $image = false;
          }
                             
          if($image) $return['MediaItem' . ($i + 1) ] = $image;
        
        }      
      }
    }
  }
  
  return $return;
    
}

$images = get_product_images('http://www.thealleychicago.com/servlet/Products', '344','ALLEY 17');

$product_row = array(
  'ProductNumber' => 344,
  'SKU' => 'ALLEY 17'
);

$merge = array_merge($product_row, get_product_images('http://www.thealleychicago.com/servlet/Products', '344','ALLEY 17'));

echo '<pre>';
print_r($merge);
echo '</pre>';