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.
Ground plan. This is a preliminary drawing. The words 'Ch: of S. Andrew - Athens' are inscribed in pencil. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan. This ground plan depicts the church of Hagios Andreas -the katholikon of the monastic complex- the monastic enclosure, the refectory, the cells and other monastic buildings. The words: 'Monastery Church of St Andrew' are inscribed in pencil in the top left-hand corner.
Ground plan. The plan is entitled: 'Church of S. Andrew - Athens', 'Plan to 1/4 Inch Scale'.
Ground plan. The drawing is entitled: 'Church of Church Andrew', 'Athens'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Clockwise from top left: East elevation, West elevation, North elevation, Longitudinal section. The item as a whole is entitled: 'Church of Saint Andrew', 'Athens'. The five drawings are captioned sequentially: 1.'East End', 2. 'West End', 3. 'North Section', 4. 'Long Section'.
Ground plan (bottom) and Transverse section (top). The church of Hagioi Apostoloi underwent four phases of construction/modification. This is the original (before restoration) ground plan of the church (Period I). A sketch depicting the plan (in pencil) of the church's dome occupies the top right-hand corner.
Ground plan. The church of Hagioi Apostoloi underwent four phases of construction/modification. This is the original (before restoration) ground plan of the church (Period I). The plan is entitled: 'Church of Holy Apostles Athens', 'The Plan as Existing'. Later additions are coloured differently.
Ground plan. The church of Hagioi Apostoloi underwent four phases of construction/modification. This is the original (before restoration) ground plan of the church (Period I). The plan is entitled: 'Church of Holy Apostles Athens', 'The Plan 1/4 Scale'. Further annonation in pencil survives. Later additions are coloured differently and indicated as such ('Modern Additions'). Various sketches in pencil including an unknown person's face survive on the reverse.
Ground plan. The church of Hagioi Apostoloi underwent four phases of construction/modification. This is the original (before restoration) ground plan of the church (Period I). This is a preliminary drawing ('working-plan') . It is entitled (in pencil): 'Holy Apostles Athens'.
Ground plan. The church of Hagioi Apostoloi underwent four phases of construction/modification. This is the original (before restoration) ground plan of the church (Period I). The plan is entitled: 'Church of the Holy Apostles Athens', 'Plan'. Later additions are coloured differently and indicated as such ('Modern Additions'). A note in pencil in the right-hand corner reads: 'Been Redrawn'.
Ground plan. The church of Hagioi Apostoloi underwent four phases of construction/modifications. This is the original (before restoration) ground plan of the church (Period I). The plan is entitled: 'Church of Holy Apostles Athens', 'The Plan Restored'. A sketch depicting the upper part of a column survives in the bottom left-hand corner.
Ground plan. The church of Hagioi Apostoloi underwent four phases of construction/modification. This is the original (before restoration) ground plan of the church (Period I). The plan is entitled: 'Church of The Holy Apostles Athens', 'Plan Restored'. A note in pencil in the top right-hand corner reads: 'Been Redrawn'. The plan was left unfinished.
Transverse section. The section is entitled: 'Church of Holy Apostles Athens', 'Transverse Section 1/4 Scale'. A caption at the bottom of the section reads: 'The Windows are now filled in'. Rough sketches of unidentified parts of the church occupy the bottom right-hand corner.
Transverse section. The section is entitled: 'Chruch of the Holy Apostles' 'Cross Section'.
North elevation. This elevation depicts in detail the five horizontal dentil courses of the church (an uppermost dentil cornice runs under the roof) as well as the ornamental brickwork of geometrical and Kufic/Kufesque designs which has been inserted in the vertical joints of the cloisonné masonry. The windows of the north side are double of the 'arcade' type. The elevation is entitled: 'Church of Holy Apostles Athens', 'North Elevation 1/4 Inch Scale'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
South elevation. The original walling of the Hagioi Apostoloi underwent minor repairs only on the south side. This elevation depicts in detail the five horizontal dentil courses of the church (an uppermost dentil cornice runs under the roof) as well as the ornamental brickwork of geometrical and Kufic/Kufesque designs which has been inserted in the vertical joints of the cloisonné masonry. The windows of the south side are double of the 'arcade' type. The elevation is entitled: 'Church of Holy Apostles Athens', 'South Elevation 1/4 Inch Scale'.
East elevation. This elevation depicts partly the five horizontal dentil courses of the church (an uppermost dentil cornice runs under the roof) as well as mainly the ornamental brickwork of geometrical and Kufic/Kufesque designs which has been inserted in the vertical joints of the cloisonné masonry. An alpha (A) and omega (O) as well as a leaved cross with IC XC in the upper angles decorate the exterior wall of the central apse of the bema. The window of the east apse is triple of the 'arcade' type. Those of the side apses are double of the same type. The elevation is entitled: 'Church of the Holy Apostles Athens', 'East Elevation'. Further annotation in pencil and ink survives.
East elevation. This elevation depicts partly the five horizontal dentil courses of the church (an uppermost dentil cornice runs under the roof) as well as mainly the ornamental brickwork of geometrical and Kufic/Kufesque designs which has been inserted in the vertical joints of the cloisonné masonry. An alpha (A) and omega (O) as well as a leaved cross with IC XC in the upper angles decorate the exterior wall of the central apse of the bema. The window of the east apse is triple of the 'arcade' type. Those of the side apses are double of the same type. The elevation is entitled: 'Church of Holy Apostles Athens', 'The East Elevation 1/4 Scale'. Two notes in ink survive: 'Dome modernised' next to the dome and 'Windows now filled in' delow the level of the ground floor. Further sketches in ink survive.
East elevation. This elevation offers a detailed close representation of the masonry of the east side: five horizontal dentil courses (an uppermost dentil cornice runs under the roof) as well as ornamental brickwork of geometrical and Kufic/Kufesque designs have been inserted horizontally among the courses of the bricks and in the vertical joints of the cloisonné masonry respectively. An alpha (A) and omega (O) as well as a leaved cross with IC XC in the upper angles decorate also the exterior wall of the central apse of the bema. The window of the east apse is triple of the 'arcade' type. Those of the side apses are double of the same type. The elevation is entitled in pencil: 'Church of Holy Apostles Athens'.
Ground plan. This plan is one of the earliest accurate depictions of the original Byzantine church. This is a preliminary drawing ( 'working-plan'). The words 'Asomaton' and 'Asomaton Athens' in capital letters are inscribed in the margin. The sketch of an unknown church in pencil survives on the reverse.
Transverse section. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled (in pencil): 'Asomaton Athens'.
Ground plan (bottom) and North elevation (top). This ia a preliminary drawing. The words 'Asomatoi' and 'Athens' appear in the top left-hand and the bottom right-hand corner respectively. Measurements of ornamental decoration survive on the reverse.
Clockwise from top left: North elevation (top), Transverse section (bottom, on the right), Ground plan (bottom, on the left). This north elevation is of particular interest since it represents in its original form the north door of the narthex. The door which was arched and decorated with a double course of brickwork was walled up in a later phase. It was restored in 1960 crowned though by a single course of brickwork. The drawing is entitled (in pencil): 'Church of the Incorporeals (Asomatoi)' .
North elevation (left), Transverse section (right). This is a preliminary drawing.
Ground plan. The drawing is entitled: 'Church of St Dionysius Areopagite'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan. This is a preliminary drawing entitled, St. Dionysios Areopagite-Athens. Further annotation in pencil survives including part of title in Greek.
Ground plan. The words 'Athens, Erechtheion' are inscribed in the top right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives. This is a preliminary drawing.
Transverse section (top), Longitudinal section (bottom). The words 'Athens, Erechtheion' are inscribed on the top right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives. This is a preliminary drawing. A sketch (plan) in pencil survives on the reverse.
Ground plan. The drawing is entitled: 'The Cathedral Athens', 'Plan'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Transverse section (left), Longitudinal section (right). The drawing is entitled: 'The Catherdal Athens'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Clockwise from upper row: Transverse section (left), Longitudinal section (right), Ground plan (bottom). Further annotation in ink survives.
West elevation. The drawing is captioned: 'West Elevation'.
East elevation. The drawing is captioned: 'East Elevation'.
West elevation. The drawing is entitled: 'The Cathedral Athens', 'The West Elevation - Half Inch Scale'.
East elevation. The drawing is entitled: 'The Cathedral Athens', 'The East Elevation - Half Inch Scale'.
Marble relief panels from the decoration of the building. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Lintel and inner door frame in marble relief. The door leads from the narthex to the nave.
Lintel and inner door frame in marble relief. The door leads from the narthex to the nave. This is a preliminary drawing.
Ground plan. The drawing is entitled: 'Athens - Church of S. John the Theologian'.
West elevation (left), Jamb mouldings section (right). The drawing is entitled: ' St John the Theologian, Athens', 'West Elevation'. Furher annotation in pencil survives.
Transverse section ((top), Ground plan (bottom). The two drawings are inscribed separately. Further annotation in pencil survives. The sketch of an unknown church in pencil survives at the back.
Transverse section (top), West elevation (bottom). The elevation depicts the gable-windows of the church which are among the earliest examples of the grouped-type. Noteworthy is the tympanum filling in the west gable window of the naos: the Cufic patterns are interrupted by a flowering cross. A small semi-arch hardly more than a quarter-cicle supports the single window of each of the four gables in the exo-narthex. The two drawings are inscribed separately. Further annotationand sketches in pencil survives.
East elevation (top), South elevation (bottom). Arcade type windows are used only in the east side of the church. The grouped window gradually replaced this type. Among the earliest examples are the gable-windows of the church. Noteworthy in the South Elevation is the shallow cut-brick horizontal frieze above the arch of the central south door. The motif is a step pattern. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan. The Drawing is entitled: 'Kapnikarea Church - Athens', 'The Plan'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Longitudinal section with interior decoration. The Drawing is entitled: 'Kapnikarea Church - Athens', 'Longitudinal Section'.
Transverse section with interior decoration. This is a preliminary drawing.