About the BRF Collection
The Byzantine Research Fund Archive (BRF) is a unique collection of architectural drawings, photographs and notebooks created from the late 19th century to the middle of the 20th century by a small team of British architects trained in the Arts & Crafts tradition whose studies of Byzantium shaped the Byzantine Revival in later years.
The collection contains over 1,500 drawings and 1,000 photographs, numerous notebooks and the corporate records associated with the Byzantine Research and Publication Fund, the original body created in 1907 to support this work. Although the Fund was associated with the BSA from the time it was founded, it was not until 1937 that the BSA formerly took over the property and operation of it. The BRF Archive contains records of Byzantine monuments in Greece, Turkey, Italy, the Near East, Egypt, and Cyprus. In some cases, the collection contains the only record of a monument before its destruction in modern times, the most important example being the church of Hagios Demetrios in Thessalonike which was almost completely destroyed in the Great Fire of 1917 shortly after being recorded by one of the BRF architects, Walter Sykes George. It also contains personal records of the following architects; Robert Weir Schultz, Sidney Howard Barnsley, Walter Sykes George, William Harvey, Harold Swainson, Peter Gus Corbett, and A.H.S (Peter) Megaw. The aspirations of the BRF Archive Project today are to make these materials accessible to a wide range of researchers.
Ground plan. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Architrave blocks. Further annotation in pencil and ink survives.
Rubbing - Fragment of lintel. This is a fragment of a lintel which was found 'outside the Acropolis'. It is decorated with foliate patterns (palmettes). Further annotation in ink and pencil survives.
Ground plan. The drawing is entitled: 'Church of St Theodore Athens', 'Ground Plan'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Longitudinal section with interior decoration. The drawing is entitled: 'Church of St Theodore Athens', 'Longitudinal Section'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Transverse section. Preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
North elevation. The drawing depicts the bowls which were used as tympanun ornaments throughout the monument. Unfortunately, few of them are original.
West elevation. Preliminary drawing.
North elevation. Preliminary drawing.
South elevation. The drawing depicts the bowls which were used as tympanun ornaments throughout the monument. Unfortunately, few of them are original. The erawing is entitled: 'Church of St Theodore', 'South Elevation'. Further annotation in ink survives.
East elevation. The drawing depicts the bowls which were used as tympanun ornaments throughout the monument. Unfortunately, few of them are original. The drawing is entitled: 'Church of St Theodore', 'East Elevation'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Longitudinal section (top), Ground plan (bottom). Further annotation in ink survives.
West elevation (top), Transverse section (bottom). Further annotation in ink survives.
South elevation (top), North elevation (bottom). The drawing depicts the bowls which were used as tympanun ornaments throughout the monument. Unfortunately, few of them are original. Further annotation in ink survives.
East elevation. The drawing depicts the bowls which were used as tympanun ornaments throughout the monument. Unfortunately, few of them are original. Preliminary drawing.
Rubbing - Detail of the ornamental terracotta panel-frieze (champleve process). The drawing is numbered as the first of a series. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Rubbing - Detail of the ornamental terracotta panel-frieze (champleve process). The drawing is numbered as the third of a series. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Rubbing - Detail of the ornamental terracotta panel-frieze (champleve process). The drawing is numbered as the third of a series. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Rubbing - Detail of the ornamental terracotta panel-frieze (champleve process). Further annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan. This is a preliminary drawing.. It is entitled (in pencil): 'Agia Zoni and Agios Spyridon'. A ground plan and sketches of other churches have been imprinted on it. Furher annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan. The words 'Hypapanti' (in Greek) iand 'Athens' are inscribed in pencil on the top of the drawing. A sketch of circular design in pencil survives at the back.
Plan of the monastic complex. This is a detailed ground plan of the Daou-Penteli monastic buildings. The drawing is entitled:'Church of the Ruined Monastery at Daou-Mendeli- Attica- Greece'. The monastic buildings are inscribed separately. Further annotation in pencil survives. F.W. Hasluck contributed to the survey of these buildings.
Upper row (from left to right): West elevation, South elevation, East elevation, Cross section (looking west). Middle row (from left to right): Cross section, North elevation, Longitudinal section (looking south). Lower row (from left to right): Ground plan, Plan at gallery level, Plan at lower roof level. The elevations and the plans depict the main church, the katholikon, of the Daou-Penteli monastic complex. The drawing is entitled: 'Church of the Ruined Monastery at Daou-Mendeli- Attica- Greece'. Each elevation and plan is inscribed separately. Futher annotation in pencil survives. F.W. Hasluck contributed to the survey these buildings.
Plan of the monastic complex. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in ink survives.
Plan of the monastic complex. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. A sketch (plan) in pencil survives on the reverse.
Plan of the monastic complex. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled: 'Daphne, General Plan of Monastery, Enclosure'. Further annotation in ink and pencil survives.
Plan of the monastic complex. This is a preliminary drawing. It is numbered as Drawing 'No 8'. Further annotation and numbering in ink and pencil survives.
Ground plan of the exo-narthex of the katholikon showing the staircase-tower which led to the upper storey. This is a preliminary drawing.
Preliminary sketch of the ground plan showing the narthex of the katholikon.
Preliminary sketch of the ground plan showing the narthex, the exo-narthex, and the staircase
Preliminary sketch of the ground plan showig the narthex, exo-narthex and 2 staircases.
Preliminary sketch of the dome showing also the roof of one of the squinches.
Ground plan of the refectory. The refectory of the Daphni monastic complex, a long, one-aisled building with three conches in the east apse, is contemporary to the katholikon (late-eleventh century). This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in ink and pencil survives.
Ground plan of the katholikon. The drawing is entitled: 'Attica - Monastery - Church of Daphni'. It is numbered as Drawing 'No 1'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Plan of the galleries and roof. The drawing is entitled: 'Attica - Monastery - Church of Daphni'. It is numbered as drawing 'No 2'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Ground plan of the katholikon. The drawing is entitled: 'Church at Daphne - The Plan'. Further annotation in ink and pencil survives.
Ground plan of the katholikon. The drawing is entitled: 'Church at Daphne near Athens - The plan - 1/4 Inch Scale'. Further annotation in pencil survives. Various sketches in pencil (sections) survive at the back.
Section of the katholikon with iconography. This is a preliminary drawing. A sketch of a sheep's head in ink survives at the back.
Transverse section of the katholikon with iconography. This is preliminary drawing.
Sections of the katholikon with iconography. This is a preliminary drawing.
Transverse section (katholikon). This is a preliminary drawing. Various sketches of arches in pencil survive at the back.
Transverse section of the katholikon with iconography. The drawing is entitled: 'Church at Daphne - Cross Section'.
Transverse section of the katholikon with iconography. The drawing is entitled: 'Church at Daphni near Athens', 'Section looking East - 1/4 Scale'.
Transverse section o the katholikon with iconography. This is a preliminary drawing.
Transverse setion of the katholikon with portico. The drawing is entitled: 'Monastery of Daphni - Attica'. It is numbered as Drawing 'No 4'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Longitudinal section (katholikon). This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled: 'Monastery of Daphni - Attica'. Furhter annotation in ink survives.
Longitudinal section (katholikon). This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled: 'Church at Daphne near Athens', 'Longitudinal Section - 1/4 Scale'. Further annotation in pencil survives. On the reverse is written: 'Daphni' and 'Unfinished'.
Transverse section (narthex and crypt and part of the open portico). This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Transverse section of parts of the katholikon. This ia a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Transverse section of parts of the katholikon. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.