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.
Rubbing with pencil annotations, on part of an english language newspaper, depicting part of the cornice of the exterior of the diakonikon. The cornice is decorated with a so-called floriated pseudo-cufic inscription made in en-champleve technique (χειρομαστιχη). It is described on plate 28 of the monograph, Weir Schultz, Robert & Barnsley, Sidney H. 1901. The Monastery of Saint Luke of Stiris, in Phocis, and the dependent monastery of Saint Nicolas in the Fields, near Skripou, in Boeotia, as 'carved stringcoures round apses of small church'
Rubbings on packaging paper one on each side. One side depicts the upper main motif of one of the slabs reventing exterior dome drum which is a cross with palmettes on steps. The otherside of the paper depics the steps.
Rubbing of part of the sculputural cornice in the Katholikon on torn piece of packing paper. Back of packing paper has written on it, 'George Macmillan Esq: Bedford Street'. Rubbing depicts the en-champleve cornice of the Katholikon that divides the marble cladding of the walls (opus sectile) in two horizontal parts. It is described in plate 28 of the monograph, Weir Schultz, Robert & Barnsley, Sidney H. 1901. The Monastery of Saint Luke of Stiris, in Phocis, and the dependent monastery of Saint Nicolas in the Fields, near Skripou, in Boeotia, as 'inlaid band round walls at level of galleries'.
Rubbings of 3 parts of the templon epistyle of the prothesis with pencill annotations indicating the different part of the epistyle, on english language newspaper [The Daily News, June 30th 1890). The motifs of the rubbings are described on plate 24 of the monograph, Weir Schultz, Robert & Barnsley, Sidney H. 1901. The Monastery of Saint Luke of Stiris, in Phocis, and the dependent monastery of Saint Nicolas in the Fields, near Skripou, in Boeotia, as ' details of screens to prothesis'
Rubbings of 2 parts of the templon epistyle of the bema with pencill annotations indicating the different part of the epistyle, on english language newspaper [The Daily News, July 5th 1890). The motifs of the rubbings are described on plate 24 of the monograph, Weir Schultz, Robert & Barnsley, Sidney H. 1901. The Monastery of Saint Luke of Stiris, in Phocis, and the dependent monastery of Saint Nicolas in the Fields, near Skripou, in Boeotia, as ' details of screen to bema''
Detail of the sculpture of the iconostasis. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. Drawings survive on both sides.
Rubbing, with pencil annotation noting its location and some red fill color on the one side of motif, on english language newspaper of a capital of the narthex window. The motif of the rubbing is described on plate 27 of the monograph, Weir Schultz, Robert & Barnsley, Sidney H. 1901. The Monastery of Saint Luke of Stiris, in Phocis, and the dependent monastery of Saint Nicolas in the Fields, near Skripou, in Boeotia, as 'narthex small church'
North transept (east wall) - Marble revetment, Mosaic decoration, the Shrine of the saint. The drawing is labelled as follows: 'East Wall of North Transept With Shrine Of St Luke'.
Rubbing on english language newspaper with pencil annotation regarding location and technique of a bracket of the upper part of the bema epistyle. The motif of the rubbing is described on plate 23 of the monograph, Weir Schultz, Robert & Barnsley, Sidney H. 1901. The Monastery of Saint Luke of Stiris, in Phocis, and the dependent monastery of Saint Nicolas in the Fields, near Skripou, in Boeotia, as 'details of screen to bema'
Drawings in ink of various architectural details on one piece of paper. The individual drawings are labelled in ink: 'Window in Apse' (upper row on the left), 'Slab over Door' (upper row on the right), 'Fragment of an Iconostasis' (Middle row), 'Section-Plan' (lower row on the left), 'Parts of Column' (lower row on the right). Robert Weir Schultz or Peter Megaw has annotationed in pencil on the front giving credit to Rodeck for the drawing. There are also pencil annotations on the back which refer to previous catalogue numbers.
Rubbing, with pencil annotations on english language newspaper, of the left side of the upper part of the epistyle of the prothesis screen.The motif of the rubbing is described on plate 23 of the monograph, Weir Schultz, Robert & Barnsley, Sidney H. 1901. The Monastery of Saint Luke of Stiris, in Phocis, and the dependent monastery of Saint Nicolas in the Fields, near Skripou, in Boeotia, in the section 'details of screen to prothesis'. The rubbing catalogued as BRF/01/01/04/190 is the contiuation of this piece.
Rubbing, with pencil annotations on english language newspaper, of the right upper part of the epistyle of the prothesis screen.The motif of the rubbing is described on plate 23 of the monograph, Weir Schultz, Robert & Barnsley, Sidney H. 1901. The Monastery of Saint Luke of Stiris, in Phocis, and the dependent monastery of Saint Nicolas in the Fields, near Skripou, in Boeotia, in the section 'details of screen to prothesis'. This rubbing is the continuation of the rubbing catalogued as BRF/01/01/04/193.
Rubbing on english language newspaper dated July 16th, 1890 with pencil annotation regarding location of the upper part of the bema epistyle. The motif of the rubbing is described on plate 23 of the monograph, Weir Schultz, Robert & Barnsley, Sidney H. 1901. The Monastery of Saint Luke of Stiris, in Phocis, and the dependent monastery of Saint Nicolas in the Fields, near Skripou, in Boeotia, as 'details of screen to bema'
Rubbing on greek language printed journal, with annotations noting dimensions, of inlaid decoration on sarcophagus top. The rubbing reproduces a floriated cufic decoration with mastic incrustation (cheiromastike). The motif of the rubbing is published as figure 25, p. 35 of the monograph, Weir Schultz, Robert & Barnsley, Sidney H. 1901. The Monastery of Saint Luke of Stiris, in Phocis, and the dependent monastery of Saint Nicolas in the Fields, near Skripou, in Boeotia. The caption reads, 'Inlay on top of tomb slab).
Preliminary drawing showing a capital and column in differnt perspectives. The drawing is done on the reverse part of dated lithograph (12/12/1896). This drawing is a version of the published image on plate 26 of the monograph, Weir Schultz, Robert & Barnsley, Sidney H. 1901. The Monastery of Saint Luke of Stiris, in Phocis, and the dependent monastery of Saint Nicolas in the Fields, near Skripou, in Boeotia. Due to the date of the lithograph, this sketch is possibly the work of Pieter Rodeck who is acknowledged in the introduction of the book by Schultz and Barnsley for assisting in verifying information before the book was published.
Elevation of the dome.The drawing is captioned as follows: 'Elevation of Dome no 1 Type'. It had previously been part of the 'Unidentified Drawings' section of the BRPF database. It has a stamp, ' B.T. Batsford, 94 High Holborn, London, WC'. This drawing could be a version of part of plate 7 of the monograph, Weir Schultz, Robert & Barnsley, Sidney H. 1901. The Monastery of Saint Luke of Stiris, in Phocis, and the dependent monastery of Saint Nicolas in the Fields, near Skripou, in Boeotia.
View from the east. Further annotaion in pencil survives at the back of the photograph.
Plan of the Vlachernae quarter with three sections. The drawing is labelled and dated in pencil: 'The Blachernae Quarter', 'May 1910'. Further annotation in pencil survives.