Close-up of the lens of the Utö lighthouse. Black and white photo.
Close-up of the lens of the Utö lighthouse. Black and white photo.

Utö Lens

starting at €90.00

Throughout their long history, the lighthouses on Utö have been rebuilt many times and have housed a variety of lighting systems and lenses. The lens system currently in use, manufactured by the Parisian firm Barbier, Bernard & Turenne, dates from 1906. It has thus survived the dangerous war years with relatively few scars, thanks in part to good fortune and in part to the resourcefulness of the islanders.

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Throughout their long history, the lighthouses on Utö have been rebuilt many times and have housed a variety of lighting systems and lenses. The lens system currently in use, manufactured by the Parisian firm Barbier, Bernard & Turenne, dates from 1906. It has thus survived the dangerous war years with relatively few scars, thanks in part to good fortune and in part to the resourcefulness of the islanders.

The lighthouse stands at the edge of the world. Smoothly worn steps lead up to the lantern room. From there, you can see the shadows of the clouds reflected in the sea—and the small world of the lighthouse island. Starting in the 1950s, lighthouses began to be left without keepers or even became completely obsolete. It was not until around the turn of the millennium that the cultural and architectural value of these navigational aids, abandoned to the mercy of the weather and vandalism, began to be understood, and efforts were made to save them. Everyone who has helped save even one of our lighthouses has given a gift to all Finns.

Discover my work The Sea That Rinses My Feet  (texts in Finnish, English, and Swedish)

Discover my book Kuohu – Hooked on the Archipelago (texts in Finnish or Swedish)