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.
Dome - The Ascension (detail). The mosaic decoration in the dome is dated to the late 9th c. The drawing forms part of a series: No 3 is inscribed in gold in the lower left-hand corner. It is initialed (W.H.) and dated (1908) also in gold in the lower right-hand corner.
Dome - The Ascension (detail). The mosaic decoration in the dome is dated to the late 9th c. This is a rendition of BRF 01/01/07/95. The initials J.F. are inscribed in pencil in the lower right-hand corner. The note: 'Copy of W. Harvey's drawings by Miss Joan Fullylove, Dec. 1922 - Jan. 1923' survives in pencil at the back.
Dome - The Ascension (detail). The mosaic decoration in the dome is dated to the late 9th c. This is a rendition of BRF/ 01/01/07/98. The initials J.F. are inscribed in pencil in the lower right-hand corner. The note: 'Copy of W. Harvey's drawings by Miss Joan Fullylove, Nov. 1922' survives in pencil at the back.
Dome - The Ascension (detail). The mosaic decoration in the dome is dated to the late 9th c. The drawing forms part of a series: No 4 is inscribed in gold in the lower left-hand corner. It is initialed (W.H.) and dated (1908) also in gold in the lower right-hand corner.
Dome (base) - Part of the mosaic decortaion with the dedicatory inscription. The mosaic decoration in the dome is dated to the late 9th c.
Apse mosaic - Enthroned Virgin with Child. The mosaic replaced an iconoclastic cross probably in the 11th c. The drawing forms part of a series: No 1 is inscribed in gold in the lower left-hand corner. It is initialed (W.H.) and dated (1908) also in gold in the lower right-hand corner.
Dome (base) - Part of the mosaic decortaion with the dedicatory inscription. The mosaic decoration in the dome is dated to the late 9th c. This is a rendition of BRF/01/01/07/99. The note: 'Copied by Joan Fullylove March-April 1923 from the original drawing by W. Harvey' survives in pencil at the back.
Apse mosaic - Enthroned Virgin with Child. The mosaic replaced an iconoclastic cross probably in the 11th c. This is a rendition of BRF/01/01/07/100. The initials J.F. are inscribed in pencil in the lower right-hand corner. The note: 'Copied by Miss Joan Fullylove from the original drawing made by W. Harvey - Nov. 1922' survives in pencil at the back.
Plan. Preliminary drawing traced from Pl. XXXVI in C. Texier and P. Pullan, 'Byzantine Architecture: Examples of Edifices Erected in the East', (London, 1864) with added annotation by Schultz/Barnsley
Ground plan. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909?) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Plan. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909?) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Dome plan? This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909?) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Dome plan? This is a preliminary drawing. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909?) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Transverse section with walling. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909?) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Transverse section. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in ink survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909?) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Transverse section. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Transverse section. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in ink survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909?) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Longitudinal section. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in ink survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909?) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Longitudinal section showing some iconography in the dome and on one of the apses (3 Hebrew boys in fire?). This is a preliminary drawing in pencil with annotation. Original drawings by Schultz and Barnsley with later contributions by W.S. George (1907-1909)
Transverse section with iconography. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in ink survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909?) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Transverse section. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Longitudinal section. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909?) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Longitudinal section with walling. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
East elevation (top) - Side elevation. Tracing of Pl. XXXVII from C. Texier and P. Pullan, 'Byzantine Architecture: Examples of Edifices Erected in the East', (London, 1864). Shows addition of Turkish roof on one of the chapels.
North elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in ink and pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909?) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
North elevation (detail). This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
East elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in ink survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
East elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Plan - Stamped brick. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in ink survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909?) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Detail. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909?) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Detail of the walling. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909?) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Details of the walling. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Plan of the ambo (pulpit). This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Elevation of the ambo (pulpit). This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Ground plan. This is a preliminary drawing. It is signed ('W. Harvey' ) in pencil in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan. This is a preliminary drawing. It is signed ('W. Harvey' ) in pencil in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Plan of the crypt. This is a preliminary drawing. It is signed ('W. Harvey' ) in pencil in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Longitudinal section looking north. This is a preliminary drawing. It is signed ('W. Harvey' ) in pencil in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Transverse section looking west. This is a preliminary drawing. It is signed ('W. Harvey' ) in pencil in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Transverse section looking east. This is a preliminary drawing. It is signed ('W. Harvey' ) and dated (1908) in pencil in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
East elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is signed ('W. Harvey' ) in pencil in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan. This is a preliminary drawing. It forms part of a series: No 2 is inscribed in pencil in the upper right-hand corner. It is entitled in pencil: 'Ike Scherefee, Plan of Present Mosque'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Plan of the crypt. This is a preliminary drawing. It forms part of a series: No 3 is inscribed in pencil in the upper right-hand corner. It is entitled in pencil: 'Ike Scherefee, Plan of the Lower Church'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Longitudinal section looking north. This is a preliminary drawing. It forms part of a series: No 4 is inscribed in pencil in the upper right-hand corner. It is entitled in pencil: 'Ike Scherefee, Section Looking North'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Transverse section looking west. This is a preliminary drawing. It forms part of a series: No 5 is inscribed in pencil in the upper right-hand corner. It is entitled in pencil: 'Ike Scherefee, Cross Section Looking West'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Transverse section looking east. This is a preliminary drawing. It forms part of a series: No 6 is inscribed in pencil in the upper right-hand corner. It is entitled in pencil: 'Ike Scherefee, Cross Section Looking East'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
East elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It forms part of a series: No 7 is inscribed in pencil in the upper right-hand corner. It is entitled in pencil: 'Ike Scherefee, East Elevation'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan (top) - Plan of the crypt (bottom). This is a preminary drawing. It forms part of a series: No 1 is inscribed in pencil in the upper right-hand corner. It is entitled: 'Church of the Archangels Thessalonica'. It is labelled: 'Plan of the Church' and 'A Plan of the Crypt'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Longitudinal section looking north (top) - Transverse section looking west (bottom). This is a preminary drawing. It forms part of a series: No 2 is inscribed in pencil in the upper right-hand corner. It is entitled: 'Church of the Archangels Thessalonica'. It is labelled: 'Longitudinal Section Through Church & Crypt Looking North' and 'Cross Section Through Church & Crypt Looking West'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
East elevation (top) - Transverse section looking east (bottom). This is a preminary drawing. It forms part of a series: No 3 is inscribed in pencil in the upper right-hand corner. It is entitled: 'Church of the Archangels Thessalonica'. It is labelled: 'East Elevation' and 'Cross Section Through Bema Crypt Etc. Looking East'. Further annotation in pencil survives.