Mr. Pearl began wearing corsets at the age of 30 after seeing a photo of Fakir Musafar and developed a deep appreciation for the art and discipline of tightlacing. Over the years, he achieved a corseted waist measurement of 46 cm (18 inches), one of the smallest recorded among contemporary male tightlacers. He has since relaxed his training somewhat, noting that his waist now measures a "lazy" 56 cm (22 inches). Mr. Pearl continues to wear a corset virtually continuously, removing it only for...

If you think seashells belong on the beach or in a souvenir shop you've obviously never been to Margate. In the deepest darkest corner of the Kent city is a hidden underground marvel that has puzzled visitors and historians for over two centuries. This curious labyrinth of tunnels and chambers is covered with millions of shells, 4.6 million to be exact, mostly cockles, mussels, and whelks, arranged in swirling geometric designs and strange symbols. The craftsmanship is so detailed that it’s...

In the shadowy corners of 17th-century Italy, where men held the power and many women were locked in stifling marriages, one woman chose to rebalance the world—through poison. Her name was Giulia Tofana, a figure who emerged as both a guardian and a ghost. To some, she was a cold-blooded killer, to others, a hidden liberator. Tofana was a mysterious figure believed to have been born in Palermo, Sicily, around the early 1600s. She may have inherited her deadly trade from her mother, Thofania...