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.
Upper row: 'Longitudinal Section through Great Church and Atrium' - Lower row: 'Sections through Great Church and Baptestery', 'Section through Great Church and Baptistery'. The drawing is labelled in ink: 'Longitudinal Section through Great Church and Atrium looking South', 'Section through Transepts of Great Church and Baptestery looking East', 'Section through Great Church and Baptestery Narthex'.
Isometric view. The drawing is labelled in ink: 'Old Church', 'Baptestery', 'Great Church'.
Church of Hagios Nikolaos, Longitudinal section. The drawing is labelled in ink: 'Longitudinal Section looking North'.
Byzantine inscription bearing the name and title of bishop Hylasios (north transept).
Byzantine inscription in medallion bearing the title of bishop (north transept).
Byzantine inscription in medallion bearing the title of Bishop (north transept).
Byzantine inscription in medallion bearing the name Hylasiou (north transept).
Byzantine inscription in the iconostasis (four medalions). It reads: 'Mother of God, help Bishop George'.
Byzantine inscription in the iconostasis (four medalions). It reads: 'the builder and Constantine and George the priests).
Racing quadrigae (marble relief). This is a preliminary drawing.
Archivolt of ciborium in relief - Two capitals.
Marble revetment (narthex). The drawing is entitled in pencil: 'Church of the Chora Constantinople - Detail of Marble Wall Lining to Narthex'. It is initialed (RWS) and dated in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Plan. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in ink.The drawing is a copy.
Plan. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in ink.The drawing is a copy.
West elevation - Details. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in ink.The drawing is a copy.
Windows and Mouldings. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in ink.The drawing is a copy.
Plan. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
Elevations. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
Longitudinal section (upper part) - Elevation (lower part). This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
Cross section. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
Plan. The drawing is entitled in ink: 'S. John the Baptest of the Stoudion'. It is initaled (RT) and dated in ink in the lower right-hand corner. It is annotated in ink.
Longitudinal section. The drawing is entitled in ink: 'S. John of the Stoudion'. It is signed (W.S.George) in ink in the lower right-hand corner. It is annotated in ink.
Upper part by R. Traquair: Narthex elevation - Lower part by W. S. George: Longitudinal section (western part of nave), Half cross-section looking west. The drawing is entitled in ink: 'S. John of the Stoudion'. It is signed (R. Traquair and W.S. George) in ink. It is labelled in ink: 'Elevation of the Narthex' and ' Lognitudinal Section of Western Portion of Nave (restored) Half Cross Section Looking West (restored)'. It is annotated in ink.
Cross sections looking east (upper part) and west (lower part). The drawing is entitled in ink: 'S. John of the Stoudion'. It is signed (W.S. George) in ink in the lower right-hand corner. It is entitled in ink: 'Cross Section looking East' 'Cross Section looking West'. It is annotated in ink.
Elevation and section of suggested restoration. The drawing is labelled in ink: 'Suggetsed Restoration'. It is initialed and dated in ink (RT) in the lower right-hand corner. It is annotated in ink.
Plans and sections of architectural members (Details). The drawing is labelled in ink: 'Details of Narthex Colonnade The Doors and Windows'. It is annotated in ink.
Plans and sections of architectural members (details). The drawing is labelled in ink: 'S. John of the Studion Details of Doors From drawings by A.E. Henderson'. It is initialed and dated in ink (RT) in the lower right-hand corner. It is annotated in ink.
Plan of the main church (ground and gallery level). Created by George, W. S.?
Plan of the main church (ground and gallery level). Created by George, W. S.?
Part of elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil. Created by George, W. S.?
Plan (restored). This is a printed copy of an original drawing. It is enitiled in pencil: 'S. Andrew in Kriseis Constantinople - Restored Plan'. It is annotated in ink.
Plan (restored). This is a printed version of an original drawing. It is entitled in pencil: 'S. Mary Panachrantos Constantinople - Restored Plan'. It is annotated in ink. A preliminary sketch of the church in pencil survives to the right.
Half plan and a section. This is a preliminary drawing. The unfinished sketches of parts of a church in pencil survive at the bottom.
Plan. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in pencil: 'S. Theodore'.
Plan. This is a printed version of an original drawing.It is entitled in ink: 'S Theodosia'. Ii is initialed (RT) and dated in the lower right-hand corner.
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.
Plan. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in pencil:'Bal Mum Khane Blachernae Constantinople'.
Sections - Elevations (Internal). This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in pencil: 'Bal Mum Khane Blachernae Constantinople'.
Sketch (left bottom) and watercolour (right upper corner) of the churches. The drawing is labelled in pencil: 'The Monastery of the Pantokrator and Water Aqueduck, Constantinople'. Created by George, W. S.?
Monograms on the capitals. The drawing is labelled: 'South Aisle - South Side of Nave', 'North Aisle - North Side of Nave'. The monograms are numbered in Greek/Arabic characters.
Monograms. This printed drawing is labelled in Greek. Creator unknown.
Plan. The drawing is a photographic copy of a printed original. It is entitled in pencil: 'The Mone tes Choras Constantinople - Restored Plan'. It is annotated in pencil.
Marble revetment (narthex). The drawing is labelled and dated in pencil in the lower left-hand corner.
Marble revetment (narthex). The drawing is entitled in pencil: 'Church of the Chora Constantinople - End of Narthex'. It is initialed (RWS) and dated in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Marble revetment (wall leading to narthex). The drawing is entitled in pencil: 'Church of the Chora Constantinople - Detail of Marble Wall Lining to Narthex'. It is initialed (RWS) and dated in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan of the east church. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in pencil in the upper right-hand corner. :'Koya Kalessi' - 'Asia Minor'. It is initialed in pencil in the upper left corner (RWS?). Further annotation in pencil survives. The drawing, according to A.C. Headlam, were made by R.W. Schultz and S.H. Barnsley from photograpH.S. and plans he provided to them.
Longitudinal section of the east church looking north. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in pencil in the upper right-hand corner. :'Koya Kalessi' - 'Asia Minor'. It is initialed in pencil in the upper left corner (RWS?). Further annotation in pencil survives. The drawing, according to A.C. Headlam, were made by R.W. Schultz and S.H. Barnsley from photograpH.S. and plans he provided to them.
West elevation (left-hand side) - Transverse section looking east (right-hand side). This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in pencil in the upper right-hand corner. :'Koya Kalessi' - 'Asia Minor'. It is initialed in pencil in the upper left corner (RWS?). Further annotation in pencil survives. The drawing, according to A.C. Headlam, were made by R.W. Schultz and S.H. Barnsley from photograpH.S. and plans he provided to them.
General plan of the site (upper part) - Ground plan of the east church lower part). These seven items are printer proofs of the no. 01/10/02/09/01 ground plan of the east church (BRF no. 01/02/02/01).