Published 20:35 IST, November 26th 2019
Victorian jailhouse that once held 'Peaky Blinders' opened for public
A victorian era jailhouse, where real-life Peaky Blinders gang were kept, has been opened up for the public after turning it into a museum.
A victorian era jailhouse, where real-life Peaky Blinders gang was kept, has been opened up for the public after turning it into a museum. The building, within the walls of Birmingham's Steelhouse Lane police station, was used as an operating police facility until 2017. A private company took over the ‘Lock Up’, its long-held informal name, to convert it into a museum.
BAFTA award-winning tv series
The Steelhouse Lane Lock-up, listed as Grade II 19th century jail, operated for 125 years, from 1891 to 2016. The original members of the peaky blinders inspired the BAFTA award-winning gangster drama written by Steven Knight. The gang was named peaky blinders since they sewed razor blades into the peaks of their flat caps and used it to blind rival gang members by headbutting them. The museum has archived mugshots of Harry Fowler, Ernest Bayles, Stephen McHickie and Thomas Gilbert, wearing the caps they used to blind rival gangsters.
Highly-organised gangs
The peaky blinders, based in Birmingham, England, operated from the 1880s to the early 1900s. The highly-organised gangs were involved in robberies, racketeering, and control of gambling among other criminal activities. They had a signature outfit comprised of tailored jackets, button waistcoats, silk scarves, bell-bottom trousers, lapel overcoats, leather boots, and the infamous peaked flat caps. Economic hardship in England led to the rise of the gangsters and violent youth subculture.
The British crime drama tv series Peaky Blinders is loosely based on the gang since the timeline differs from the original events. The series, set in Birmingham, follows the story of the Shelby crime family in the aftermath of World War I. The series which stars Cillian Murphy, Sam Neill, and Helen McCrory, was premiered in September 2013. The latest series was premiered on BBC One on August 25, 2019, and finished on September 25, 2019, and is also available on online streaming platform Netflix.
Updated 20:58 IST, November 26th 2019