In the 1800s, Chance Brothers & Co glassworks in Smethwick began making the hi-tech lenses that lighthouses use to warn ships of dangerous locations. By 1951, over 2,500 lighthouses around the world were fitted with a Chance lens.

From the Cape Race lighthouse that received the SOS call from the Titanic, to the Longstone lighthouse from where Grace Darling and her father William launched one of Britain’s most courageous rescues, they certainly ended up in some interesting places.

Love lighthouses? Curious about history? Enjoy making new discoveries and exploring the world from your device? Join our mission to create an explorable online map, enriched with photos, history, and technical details, and discover global history through a new lens.

Note: The information on this map was added by volunteers. Seen something that's not right? Report it to leanne@chanceht.org