Photochromic glasses have attracted increasing interests as switchable lenses and radiation dosimeters. Here, we report on a new and cheap photochromatic material, Mn2+ activated borophosphate glass which can be readily prepared by the conventional melt-quenching method. The photochromic properties are characterized by differential absorption spectra, and the photochromism stems from the conversion of Mn2+ to Mn3+ when the glass samples are exposed to gamma-rays. Our results show that the photochromism can be controlled by modifying the glass structure and optical basicity through adding of alkali (Na2O) and alkali-earth (SrO, BaO and CaO) oxides. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.