A convenient method was developed for the synthesis of photochromic spiropyrans and merocyanine dyes of the 1-benzothieno [3, 2-b] pyrroline series based on the conventional condensation of the analog of Fischer's salt, viz., 1, 2, 3, 3-tetramethyl-3 H-[1] benzothieno- [3, 2-b] pyrrolium triflate, with aromatic 2-hydroxyaldehydes. Unlike Fischer's salt, benzothieno-pyrrolium salts readily undergo the [1, 5]-sigmatropic rearrangement giving ...