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.
Longitudinal section and ground plan of the Koimesis church - Longitudinal section and ground plan of the Hagios Ioannis church - Ground plan of the Hagioi Theodoroi church. The drawing is entitled in ink: 'Chalandriza Elis Greece'. It is labelled in ink: 'Church of the Koimesis'. 'Hagios Ioannis', Hagios Theodoros'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Ground plan. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in pencil:' Tegea Palaia Episcopi, 1/4 Scale'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Longitudinal section. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in pencil: 'Tegea'. It has been left unfinished.
Cross section. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in pencil: 'Tegea'. It has been left unfinished.
East elevation (upper half) - Cross section (lower half). This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in pencil:'Tegea - Palaeo-Episcopi'. It is labelled in ink: 'East Elevation' (upper part) - 'Section Through West End Of Nave Looking West' (lower part). It is numbered in pencil (no 3) in the upper right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Fragments of carved slabs and capitals. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in pencil:'Tegea - Palaeo-Episcopi'. It is labelled in ink:'Fragments of Carved Slab, Capital,- Etc.'. It is numbered in pencil (no 5) in the upper right-hand corner.
Door slab from the temple gate. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil in the upper right-hand corner:' Tegea Museum'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan. This is the preliminary drawing of an unidentified cross-in-square church. The printed drawing of a building's façade survives on the reverse. Not certain if its from Arcadia.
Ground plan (left-hand side) - West and south elevation (right-hand side). The drawing is fully annotated in pencil.
Ground plan. This is a preliminary drawing. It is singed in pencil (w. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan. This is a preliminary drawing. It is singed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Longitudinal section (upper half) - Ground plan (lower half). This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in pencil:'Argolis: Merbaka Church of the 'Panagia'. It is numbered (no 1) in pencil in the upper right-hand corner. It is labelled in pencil: 'Longitudinal Section' and 'A Plan of the Churc'. Further annotation in pencil survives. This drawing was possibly part of the 1936 Exbhitiion at the Royal Academy as panel 513 in the catalogue
Longitudinal section. This is a preliminary drawing. It is singed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Longitudinal seciton. This is a preliminary drawing. It is singed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Cross sections (2- looking east on the left and west on the right). This is a preliminary drawing. It is singed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Cross sections (2- looking east on the left and west on the right). This is a preliminary drawing. It is singed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
West elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is singed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
West elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is singed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
North elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is singed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
North elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is singed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
South elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is singed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
South elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is singed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Upper row: West elevation (left), East elevation (right), Lower row: 'North Elevation'. The drawing is entitled in ink: 'Argolis Merbaka Church of the Panagia'. It is labelled in ink: "West Elevation', 'East Elevation' and 'North Elevation'. It is numbered in ink (no 3) in the upper right-hand corner. This drawing was part of the 1936 Exbhitiion at the Royal Academy and was panel 514 in the catalogue
Upper row: Cross section looking east (left) - Cross section looking west (right), Lower row: South elevation. The drawing is entitled in ink:'Argolis Chonika Church of the Koimesis'. It is labelled in ink: 'Cross Section looking East', 'Cross Section looking West', 'South Elevation'. It is numbered in ink (no 2) in the upper right-hand corner.
Upper row: 'West elevation (left) - East elevation (right), Lower row: North elevation. The drawing is entitled in ink:'Argolis Chonika Church of the Koimesis'. It is labelled in ink: 'West Elevation', 'East Elevation', 'North Elevation'. It is numbered in ink (no 3) in the upper right-hand corner. This drawing was part of the 1936 Exbhitiion at the Royal Academy and was panel 511 in the catalogue
Upper row: South and north elevation, Middle row: Cross section looking east, East elevation, West elevation, Section through narthex looking east, Lower row: Longitudinal section, Plan of the church. The drawing is entitled in ink: 'Argolis Ligourio Church of St Chrysostom'. It is labelled in ink: 'South Elevation', 'North Elevation', 'Cross Section looking East', 'East Elevation', 'West Elevation', 'Section through Narthex looking East', 'Longitudinal Section', 'Plan of Church'. It is numbered in pencil (no 1) in the upper right-hand conrer. Further annotation in pencil survives. The drawing has been exhibited (no 512) at the 1936 Royal Academy Exhibition.
Upper row: Longitudinal section (left) - Cross section (right). Lower row: Plan (left) - Section through narthex (right). The drawing is entitled in ink:'S. Mary Katholikos Gastouni Elis'. It is labelled in ink: 'Longitudinal Section', 'Cross Section', 'Plan' and 'Section through Narthex'.
Door on north side (lintel-jamb mold-various details) - Brickwork patterns. The drawing is entitled in ink: 'S. Mary Katholikos Gastouni Elis'. It is labelled in ink: 'Built up Door on North Side', 'Monogram Forms in the Brickwork'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Left half: Longitudinal section - Plan, Right half: Half elevation, Section of the dome - Half evelation of west façade. The drawing is entitled in ink: 'The Panagia Manolada Elis'. It is labelled in ink: 'Longitudinal Section', 'Plan', 'Half Elevation and Section of the Dome', 'Half Elevation of West Front'.
Details of architectural members (columns, bases). The drawing is entitled in ink: 'Hagios Nikolaos Isova Greece' . Further annotation in ink survives.
Upper row: South elevation, Sketches and Sections of architectural members (capitals, arches) - Lower row: 'Ground Plan'. The drawing is entitled in ink: 'The Monastery Church of our Lady of Isova Greece'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Cross section - West elevation - Sketch and Plan of window gables - Sections of vault ribs, cornices, stringcourses, details of arches - Fragment of moulding and a north elevation. A sketch plan of the site survives in the upper right-hand corner. The drawing is entitled in ink: 'The Monastery Church of our Lady of Isova Greece'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Ink drawing of restoration of the Monastery of our Lady at Isova. The drawing is labelled in pencil: 'The Monastery of Our Lady of Isova. Restored Sketch'.
Ground plan. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. Creator unknown.
Screen of Byzantine church. The Drawing is annotated in ink in the lower left-hand corner: 'Byzantine Church at Olympia. Screen etc. 15/12/96 drawn by M. Poynter traced 28/07/96'.
Upper part: Gallery plan - Lower part: Ground plan with floor opus sectile (revetment). The drawing is entitled in pencil: 'Mistras - Church of the Pantanassa'. It is labelled in ink: 'A Plan of the Galleries', 'A Plan of the Church'. Further annotation in pencil surives.
Cross section. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in ink: 'Church of the Pantanassa at Mistras - Transverse Section Looking East 1/4 Scale'. Further annotation in pencil survives. The sketch of the Ground Plan of an unidentified chapel (Hagios Charalampos?) survives on the reverse.
Longitudinal section with iconography. This is a preliminary drawing. It is labelled in ink: 'Longitudinal Section Looking North'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Isometric section. The drawing is entitled in ink: 'Church of the Pantanassa - Mistras'. The drawing was exhibited in the Royal Academy 1936 exhibition (no 492).
West elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in pencil: 'The Church of the Pantanassa'. It is labelled in ink: 'West Elevation'. It is numbered (no 4) in pencil in the upper right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
North elevation. The drawing is entitled in pencil: 'The Church of the Pantanassa'. It is labelled in ink: 'North Elevation'. It is numbered (no 5) in pencil in the upper right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives. The drawing was exhibited in the Royal Academy 1936 exhibition (no 493).
North elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in ink: 'Church of the Pantanassa at Mistras - The North Elevation 1/4 Scale'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Details of sculpture (capitals, lintels). This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
Ground plan. The drawing is entitled in pencil: 'Mistras - Church of the Evangelistria'. It is labelled in ink: 'A Plan of the Church'. It is numbered in pencil (no 1) in upper right-hand corner.
Upper part: Cross section - Lower part: Longitudinal section. The drawing is entitled in pencil: 'Mistras - Church of the Evangelistria'. It is labelled in ink: 'Section Looking North West' and 'Section Looking North East'. It is numbered in pencil (no 2) in upper right-hand corner.
South-east elevation. The drawing is entitled in pencil: 'Mistras - Church of the Evangelistria'. It is labelled in ink: 'South-East Elevation' and 'North-East Elevation'. It is numbered in pencil (no 3) in upper right-hand corner.
Upper row: Ground plans and elevations of Chapel B' (on the left) and Hagia Anna (on the right). Lower row: Ground plans of Hagios Georgios (left) and Hai-Yannakis (right). The drawing is entitled in pencil: 'Mistras - Small Churches'. It is numbered (no 1) in pencil in the upper right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Upper part: Cross section looking east - Lower part: Cross section looking west. The drawing is labelled in ink: 'Section Looking Towards Bema', 'Section Looking Towards Narthex'. It is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
East elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
Upper part: West elevation - Lower part: Longitudinal section. The drawing is entitled in pencil: 'Mistras, Efentiko'. It is labelled in ink: 'West Elevation' and 'Section Looking North'. Further annotation in pencil survives.