Birmingham, 1904. A 13-year-old boy named David Taylor is photographed by police holding a loaded <br />firearm. This photograph exists in the West Midlands Police Museum. Look at his face. He's trying to <br />appear dangerous, but he's 13 years old. <br />And here's what should shock you most: Not a single one of these children ever wore a razor blade in <br />their cap. <br />The razor blades never existed. Thomas Shelby never existed. The 1920s setting is wrong by 30 years. <br />Almost everything the world believes about the Peaky Blinders is a lie. <br />But the truth — the documented, photographed, court-recorded truth — is more shocking than any fiction <br />could ever be. <br />■ WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER: <br />• The first time "Peaky Blinders" appeared in print (March 24, 1890) <br />• Why disposable razors didn't even exist until 1908 — 18 years AFTER the gang formed <br />• The real weapons (archaeologists found them in 2020) <br />• What happened to Harry Fowler — buried alive for 12 hours in WWI, never spoke again <br />• The 13-year-old with the loaded gun (his photograph survives) <br />• Billy Kimber: the documented truth about the real gang leader <br />• Chief Constable Rafter: the man who actually broke the gangs <br />■■ TIMESTAMPS: <br />00:00 - The 13-Year-Old With a Gun <br />01:15 - March 24, 1890: The First "Peaky Blinder" <br />02:30 - What Birmingham Actually Was <br />03:45 - The Real Name Origin (No Razor Blades) <br />05:00 - The Founding Members (Police Records) <br />06:30 - Harry Fowler: What Really Happened <br />07:45 - The Murder of Police Constable Snipe <br />09:00 - The Real Weapons (Archaeological Evidence) <br />10:15 - The Money: Protection and Bookmaking <br />11:30 - Billy Kimber: Documented Facts <br />12:45 - The Man Who Broke Them: Charles Rafter <br />14:00 - WWI: The Final Blow <br />15:15 - What the Descendants Say <br />16:30 - The Truth About the Children <br />■ THE DOCUMENTED FACTS: <br />• First newspaper mention: March 24, 1890 <br />• Disposable razors reach Britain: 1908 <br />• TV show setting: 1920s (30 years too late) <br />• David Taylor's age: 13 years old <br />• Harry Fowler buried alive: 12 hours <br />• Police photographs: ~1,500 in archive <br />• Birmingham visitors 2018: 42.8 million (up 26% since TV show) <br />■ PRIMARY SOURCES: <br />• West Midlands Police Museum (7 ledgers, 1,500 photographs) <br />• Birmingham Daily Post archives <br />• Court records (documented in video) <br />• Census records (1891, 1901, 1911, 1921) <br />• HS2 archaeological excavations (September 2020) <br />• UK Parliament wage records <br />• Military service records <br />■ RELATED: <br />• West Midlands Police Museum: https://westmidlandspolicemuseum.co.uk <br />■ Subscribe for more history the TV shows won't tell you <br />■ Like if this changed what you thought you knew <br />■ Comment: What other "historical" shows need debunking? <br />#PeakyBlinders #History #Documentary #Birmingham #TrueStory #MythBusted #BritishHistory
