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.
South elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
South elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
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
Ground plan (left) - Roof plan (right). The drawing is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan (left) - Roof plan (right). The drawing is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Section looking south. The drawing is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Section looking south. 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). The drawing is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
West elevation (left) - East elevation (right). The drawing is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
West elevation (left) - East elevation (right). The drawing is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
North elevation. The drawing is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
North elevation. The drawing is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
South elevation. The drawing is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
South elevation. The drawing is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Upper row: West elevation, South elevation, East elevation - Lower row: Cross section, Longitudinal section, Plan of church. The drawing is signed in pencil (W. Harvey) in the lower right-hand corner. It is entitled in pencil:'Argolis Plataniti Church of the Saviour. 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. Further annotation in pencil survives. An unfinished sketch survives on the reverse.
Upper rwo: Longitudinal section (left) - Cross section. The drawing is entitled in ink: 'The Monastery of Blachernai Elis Greece'. It is labelled in ink: 'Long Section', 'Section across Narthex', 'Plan', 'Plan over Narthex', 'Cross Section'.
Details of the narthex door, the roof, capitals, cornices, sculpture and masonry. The drawing is entitled in ink: 'The Monastery of Blachernai Elis Greece'. It is labelled in ink: 'Door on North Side over the Narthex', 'Detail of Jmb and Arch', 'SE Angle of Narthex Roof', 'SE Angle of Sanctuary Roof', 'Roundel in an Arch Spandril on the West Front', 'Sill Course at East End made up of Fragments', 'Cornice to the Nave', ' NE Angle of Narthex Roof', 'Masonry Details from the East End and North Side', 'Nave Capital', 'Narthex Capital'.
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'.
Upper row: Cross section to east, Longitudinal section, East end - Lower row: Ground plan, North side, West end. The drawing is entitled in ink: 'Hagios Nikolaos Isova Greece'. It is labelled in ink: 'Cross Section to East', 'Longitudinal Section to North', 'East End', 'Plan', 'North Side', 'West End'. Further anntotation in ink survives.
Upper row: 'Cross Section', 'Longitudinal Section', 'East Façade', 'Ground Plan', 'North Side', 'West End'. The drawing is entitled in ink: 'Hagios Nikolaos Isova Greece' - 'Restoration'. It is labelled in ink: 'Cross Section to East', 'Longitudinal Section to North', 'East End', 'Plan', 'North Side', 'West End'.
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'.
Upper row: Longitudinal section, Cross section, West elevation. Lower row: Ground plan. The drawing is entitled in ink: 'The Church of Sta Sophia at Andravida in Elis Greece'. It is labelled In ink: 'Long Section', 'Cross Section', 'West Elevation'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Sketches, Sections and Plans of various architectural members and parts of the building. The drawing is entitled in ink: 'The Church of Sta Sophia at Andravida in Elis Greece'. Further annotation in ink survives.
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'.
Refectory - Plan. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in ink.
Refectory - Plan. The drawing is entitled in pencil: 'Mistras - Plan of Refectory - Monastery of Efentiko - 1/8th Scale'.
West elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
South elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
Ground plan. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil. It is labelled in pencil on the reverse: 'Mistras - Efentiko Church'.
Plan of the galleries. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
Plan of the galleries. The drawing is labelled in ink: 'Plan of the Galleries'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Longitudinal section with iconography. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
Cross section with iconography. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
Cross section with iconography. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
Isometric section. The drawing is labelled in pencil:'Efentiko Mistras'.
Refectory (plan). The drawing is entitled in pencil: 'Efentiko - Refectory'.
Ground plan. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
North elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
Longitudinal section. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
Cross section. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
North elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil and crayon. It is numbered (no 5) in the upper right-hand corner.