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. It is entitled:'Church of S. Panteleemon Thessalonica', No 1. It is labelled: 'A Plan of the Church'. Furher annotation in pencil survives.
South-east elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled:'Church of S. Panteleemon Thessalonica', No 6. It is labelled: 'South-East Elevation'. Furher annotation in pencil survives.
North-east elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled:'Church of S. Panteleemon Thessalonica', No 5. It is labelled: 'South-East Elevation'. Furher annotation in pencil survives.
Upper row: Longitudinal section (left) - Transverse section (right) of the Hagios Euthymios chapel. Lower row: Moulding (left) - Plan (right) of the same chapel. The drawing has been framed for the 1985 exhibition. Further annotation in pencil survives.
A preliminary drawing in pencil labelled, 'Arta S. Theodora Church'. The front shows the ground plan of the church. Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front and the back ('1.1').
A preliminary drawing that was entitled: 'Church of S. Theodora Arta' but was later crossed out. It is labelled in ink: 'A Plan of the Church'. The front is the plan of the church in ink (scale 1:50). Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front ('scale of feet'; 'scale of metres') and the back ('1.2').
A drawing that was entitled:'Church of S. Theodora Arta' but was later crossed out. It is labelled in ink: 'Cross Section looking East' and 'Longitudinal Section looking North' (scale 1:50). Further annotation survives in pencil on the front ('N°2', 'scale') and the back ('1.3').
The drawing is entitled in ink: 'Church of S. Theodora Arta'. It is labelled in ink: 'West Elevation'. The front is the west elevation of the church, looking east (scale 1:50). Further annotation survives in pencil on the back ('1.4'; '499') This drawing was part of the 1936 Exbhitiion at the Royal Academy and was panel 499 in the catalogue
The drawing is entitled: 'Church of S. Theodora Arta' and labelled in ink: 'North Elevation'. The front is the north elevation of the church, looking south (scale 1:50). Further annotation survives in pencil on the back ('1.5'; '498'). This drawing was part of the 1936 Exbhitiion at the Royal Academy and was panel 498 in the catalogue
The drawing is entitled: 'Church of S. Theodora Arta' and labelled in ink: 'East Elevation'. The front is the east elevation of the church, looking west (scale 1:50). Further annotation survives in pencil on the back ('1.6'; '497'). This drawing was part of the 1936 Exbhitiion at the Royal Academy and was panel 497 in the catalogue
A preliminary drawing dated in pencil in the lower left-hand corner ('Oct. 1890'). Further annotation survives in pencil both on front ('Arta Saint Theodora') and back ('2.1'). An unfinished annotated sketch of the west side of the north-west capital of St Theodora inner colonnade survives on the back.
A preliminary drawing with recordings in pencil both on the front ('Arta S. Theodora Pavement in centre of church') and the back ('2.2'). Further annotation describes the typology and colour of the material used in the omphalos.
The drawing is entitled in ink: 'Church of S. Theodora Arta', 'Detail of Inlaid Paving in Nave'. Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front ('reduce to 6'4 [1-15]', 'N°5') and the back ('2.3').
This is a preliminary drawing in pencil that survives in two parts. It is labelled in pencil: 'Details of Tomb in church'. The front contains details of the Theodora's tomb. Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front and the back ('2.4 [i]'; '2.4 [ii]')
A preliminary drawing showing the east side of the Theodora's tomb. Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front ('S. Theodora Arta') and the back ('2.4a').
A prelimanary drawing showing the west side of the Theodora's tomb on the front (scale 1:15). An unfinished sketch in pencil of the E side of the tomb survives on the reverse. Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front and the back ('2.4b').
A preliminary drawing showing details of the Theodora's tomb. Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front ('Arta: St Theodora: Upper part of tomb as existing. West elevation toward narthex') and the back ('2.5').
A preliminary drawing showing details of Theodora's tomb. Annotation survives in pencil on the back ('2.6').
A preliminary drawing showing details of Theodora's tomb. Annotation survives in pencil on the back ('2.7').
A preliminary drawing showing details of the Theodora's tomb. Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front ('East elevation of tomb, towards church'; 'West elevation of tomb towards narthex'; 'detail of panel'; 'N°7') and the back ('2.8').
This is a preliminary drawing in pencil entitled: 'Church of S Theodora Arta'. Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front ('East Elevation of Tomb / towards church') and the back ('2.9').
A preliminary drawing showing a detail of the dooring sculpture. Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front ('Arta') and the back ('4.1').
This is a preliminary drawing in pencil. The front is the isometric section of the church interior, looking NE. On the back are two sketches of the sculpted arches of the N and W barrel-vault supporting the dome. Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front ('NE Angle Arta church') and the back ('4.2').
A preliminary drawing in ink annotated with pencil and labelled: 'A plan of the Church'. The front shows the ground plan of the church (scale 1:50). Further annotation survives in pencil on the back ('1.1'; '503'; 'N°1'; 'Reduce to 1-150'). This drawing was part of the 1936 Exbhitiion at the Royal Academy and was panel 503 in the catalogue
This is a preliminary drawing showing an annotated ground plan of the church on the front. On the back are unfinished sketches of vaults. Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front ('Church of the Annunciation'; 'O ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΣΜΟC ΤΗC ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΥ') and the back ('1.1a').
This is a preliminary drawing in pencil. The front is a partial plan of the naos at the gallery level. Further annotation survives on the back ('Arta Great Church'; '1.1b').
This is a preliminary drawing in pencil that survives in two parts. The front is the plan of the galleries. Unidentified sketches survive on the back. Further annotation ('I.Ic') survives on the back.
This is a preliminary drawing in pencil showing some of the dome of the church. Further annotation survives in pencil on the back ('I.Iδ') .
The drawing is labelled: 'A Plan of the Galleries'. The front is the plan of the galleries in ink (scale 1:50). Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front and the back ('1.2').
The drawing is labelled: 'Section looking East'. The front is the cross section of the church, looking east, in ink (scale 1:200). Further annotation survives in pencil on the back ('1.3').
The drawing is labelled: 'Section looking North'. The front is the longitudinal section of the church, looking north, in ink (scale 1:50). Further annotation survives in pencil on the front and back ('1.4'). This drawing was part of the 1936 Exbhitiion at the Royal Academy and was panel 504 in the catalogue
This is a preliminary drawing in pencil that survives in two parts. The front is the longitudinal section of the church, looking north. Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front and on the back ('1.4a').
A preliminary drawing showing an irregular isometric section, looking south, in ink. Further annotation survives in pencil on the back ('1.4b').
A preliminary drawing entitled 'Arta: Church of the Paregoritza' and labelled: 'West Elevation'. The front is the west elevation of the church, looking east, in ink (scale 1:50). Further annotation survives in pencil both on front ('N°5') and back ('2.1', '505'). This drawing was part of the 1936 Exbhitiion at the Royal Academy and was panel 505 in the catalogue
A preliminary drawing showing the elevation of the central dome of the church, looking E. Further annotation survives in pencil both on front ('Arta central dome') and back ('2.1a').
A preliminary drawing in pencil and crayon. The front shows the west elevation of the church, looking east. A section of an unfinished ground plan survives on the back. Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front and the back ('2.1b').
A preliminary drawing showing the north elevation of the church, looking south. The unfinished sketch of a ciborium survives on the reverse. Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front and the back ('2.1c').
A preliminary drawing showing the east elevation of the church, looking west. The unfinished sketch of the transverse section, looking W, survives on the back. Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front and on the back ('2.1δ').
A preliminary drawing labelled: 'North Elevation'. The front is the north elevation of the church, looking east, in ink (scale 1:50). Further annotation survive in pencil both on the front and the back ('2.2').
A prelimimary drawing labelled: 'East Elevation'. The front is the east elevation of the church, looking W, in ink (scale 1:50), with annotations in pencil. Further annotation survive in pencil both on the front ('Great Ch Arta'; '6') and the back ('2.3'). This drawing was part of the 1936 Exbhitiion at the Royal Academy and was panel 506 in the catalogue
A preliminary drawing showing the isometric section of the church, looking south-east (?). Further annotation survive in pencil both on the front ('Arta') and the back ('3.1').
A preliminary drawing showing the unfinished ground plan of the church. Further annotation survives in pencil on the back ('1.1').
A preliminiary drawing that was entitled: 'Church of Basil Arta' but has been crossed out and corrected in pencil: 'Arta Church of S. Basil'. The drawing is labelled in ink: 'A Plan of the Church'. The front is the ground plan of the church (scale 1: 50). Further annotation survives in pencil on the back ('1.2').
A preliminary drawing shoiwng the ground plan of the church in ink with annotations in pencil . Further annotation survive in pencil both on the front ('Church of Saint Basil'; 'Bema'; 'Arta S. Basil'; 'Scale 1/2 inche to 1 foot') and the back ('1.3').
A preliminary drawing entitled, 'Church of S. Basil Arta', and labelled 'West Elevation'. The front shows the west elevation of the church, looking east, in ink with annotations in pencil. Further annotation survive in pencil both on the front ('N° 2') and the back ('1.4'). On the back is a sketch of the longitudinal section of an unidentified domed church.
A preliminary drawing entitled 'Arta Church of S. Basil' and labelled: 'North Elevation'. The front shows is the north elevation of the church, looking south, in ink. Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front ( 'N°3'; 'Scale of feet'; 'Scale of metres', 'reduce to 6 3/4') and the back ('1.5').
A preliminary drawing showing the east elevation of the church, looking west on the front. Unfinished annotated pencil sketches of the two ceramic relief icons that decorate the eastern tympanon of the church survive on the back. Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front ('St Basil Arta') and the back ('St Basil Arta'; '1.6').
A preliminary drawing showing the east elevation of the church, looking west (scale 1:50) on the front. The drawing is annotated in pencil both on the front ('St Basil Arta'; 'reduce to 7 inches'; 'reduce to 9 1/2 inches'; '1:50', 'scale of feet'; 'scale of meter') and the back ('1.7').
A preliminary drawing entitled in: 'Church of Saint Basil Arta The West End' showing the west elevation of the church on the front, looking east in ink with pencil annotations. Further annotation survive in pencil on front ('scale of feet') and back ('1.8').
A preliminary drawing is entitled: 'North Elevation of the Church' showing the north elevation of the church, looking south on the front. Further annotation survives in pencil both on the front ('St Basil Arta') and the back ('1.9').