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.
General view. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 2857). It is annotated in pencil at the back.
View of the templon. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 2861). It is initialed (A.J.B.W) and annotated in pencil at the back.
Coat of arms inserted in wall of house. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 2862). It is initialed (A.J.B.W) and annotated in pencil at the back.
Distant view from town below. Annotation in pencil on back of photo Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 2877)
Distant view. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 2911). It is initialed (F.W.H.) and annotated in pencil at the back.
Distant view. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 2912). It is initialed (F.W.H.) and annotated in pencil at the back.
Distant view. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 2913). It is initialed (F.W.H.) and annotated in pencil at the back.
Close view of the towers. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 2914). It is initialed (F.W.H.) and annotated in pencil at the back.
Close view of the towers. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 2915). It is initialed (F.W.H.) and annotated in pencil at the back.
Coats of arms in town. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 6147). It is annotated in pencil at the back with the name of the creator/donor.
Distant view. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 6143). It is annotated in pencil at the back with the name of the creator/donor, Caton, R (?).
View from the west. The photograph is annotated in ink at the back. Creator unknown.
View from the south. The photograph is annotated in ink at the back. Creator unknown.
Annotated in ink on the back, 'View of Castro with medieval wall, Naxos. Catholic cathedral just visible on the ...Orthodox cathedral in the foreground'
Distant view. The photograph is annotated in ink at the back.
House door with coats of arms and sculture decoration. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 2827). It is initialed (A.J.B.Wace) and annotated in pencil at the back.
Detail of door decoration. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 2826). It is initialed (A.J.B.Wace) and annotated in pencil at the back.
South façade. The photograph is annotated in ink at the back.
View of Palm Sunday celebrations. The photograph is annotated in ink at the back.
View from the east. The photograph is annotated in ink at the back.
Marco Sanudo tower. The photograph is annotated in ink at the back.
Chair in unidentified building in Naxos The photograph is annotated in ink at the back.
South-west view. The photograph is annotated in ink at the back.
View of courtyard. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 7632). It is signed (P.R.Jones) and annotated in pencil at the back.
View of courtyard. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 7633). It is signed (P.R.Jones) and annotated in pencil at the back.
Monastery bells. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 5558). It is signed (C.J.J. Mansford) and annotated in pencil at the back.
Interior of the Cave of the Apocalypse, Patmos which is about halfway up the path that leads to the monastic complex of Hagios Ioannis o Theologos. This print is copy of a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 5557) as noted in pencil on the back of the photo along with the name Rev. T.A. Moxon who is probably the donor but not necessarily the creator. See SPHS Image Collection for more details
Relief with Virgin and Child, St John the Baptist and St Paul (?) at the sea gate (Porta Marina), commercial harbour of Rhodes (1478). This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 6135). It is signed (R. Caton) and annotated in pencil at the back.
View of the city ditch. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 6139). It is signed (R. Caton) and annotated in pencil at the back.
North-west view. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 2815). It is signed (A.J.B. Wace) and annotated in pencil at the back.
North-west view. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 2816). It is signed (A.J.B. Wace) and annotated in pencil at the back.
East end. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 2814). It is signed (A.J.B. Wace) and annotated in pencil at the back.
South-east view. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 2813). It is signed (A.J.B. Wace) and annotated in pencil at the back.
West façade. The photograph is annotated in pencil at the back.
Gilded wood-carved templon. Notable are the post-Byzantine icons. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 2863). It is initialed (A.J.B.W.) and annotated in pencil at the back.
The gilded templon. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 2865). It is initialed (A.J.B.W.) and annotated in pencil at the back.
The templon with post-Byzantine icons. This is a Hellenic Society photograph (H.S. 2867). It is initialed (A.J.B.W.) and annotated in pencil at the back.
Citadel gate. The photograph is annotated in pencil at the back.
View of the narthex.
Closer view of the narthex (capitals, entablature).
North side (towards east end).
North side (towards west end).
Capital (nave arcade).
Door (east end - south side).
View from south-east. This is a commercial photo. It is labelled in white ink: 'Monastere de St Serge et Bacchus (Kutchuk Aya Sophia) cinstruit l'an 535. The photograph was found along with 7 more by the same creator/artist inside a copy of 'A Letter to the Right Honourable Lord Aldenham upon the subject of a Byzantine Evangelion' by Edwin Freshfield.
South side. This is a commercial photograph. The photograph was found along with 7 more by the same creator/artist inside a copy of 'A Letter to the Right Honourable Lord Aldenham upon the subject of a Byzantine Evangelion' by Edwin Freshfield.
Hagia Sophia-Interior view (south gallery). Written on back in pencil on upper left corner: "Ag. Sophia" and a 4 digit number "5669" which seems to refer to a Hellenic Society negative number. This photograph is probably a copy of a commercial photograph produced by SebSebah & Joallier. It was attributed to Ronald Burrows who was probably the donor of the photograph to the Byzantine Research and Publication Fund