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.
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').
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: Paleo-Episcopi'. It is labelled in ink: 'A Plan of the Church'. It is numbered in pencil (no 1) in the upper right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil 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.
South elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in pencil:'Tegea - Palaeo-Episcopi'. It is labelled in ink:'South Elevation'. It is numbered in pencil (no 4) 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 (left-hand side) - West and south elevation (right-hand side). The drawing is fully annotated in pencil.
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.
Section. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. An unfinished sketch survives on the reverse.
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.
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: Cross section through narthex (left), Cross section through church looking east (right) - Lower row: South elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in ink: 'Argolis Merbaka Church of the Panagia'. It is labelled in ink: 'Cross Section through Narthex', 'Cross Section through Church looking East', 'South Elevation'. 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
Ground plan. The drawing is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan. The drawing is signed 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 premilinary drawing. It is entitled in pencil:'Argolis Chonika Church of the Koimesis'.
Longitudinal section. The drawing is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Longitudinal section. The drawing is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Cross section looking east (left) - Cross section looking west (right). The drawing is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Cross section looking east (left) - Cross section looking west (right). This is a preliminary drawing. It is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
North elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
North elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
West elevation (left) - East elevation (right). This is a preliminary drawing. It is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
West elevation (left) - East elevation (right). This is a preliminary drawing. It is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.