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.
Capitals of pillars of double windows (upper row), Capitals of shafts of triple arcades (lower row). The drawing is labelled: 'Capitals of Pillars of Double Windows' (upper row), 'Capitals of Shafts of Triple Arcades in Interior of Great Church' (lower row).
Panagia Church - Capital and base of window of central apse, Katholikon - Capital of shaft of arcade. The drawing is labelled: 'Capital and Base of Mullion in Window of Central Apse of Small Church' and 'Capital of Shaft of Arcade in Interior of Great Church'.
Capital of shaft of the arcade. The drawing is labelled: 'Capital of Shaft of Arcade in Interior of Great Church'.
Capital and base of window of central apse. The drawing is labelled: 'Capital and Base of Mullion in Window of Central Apse of Small Church' .
Capitals of pillars of windows (upper row), Katholikon - Capitals of triple arcades (middle row), Panagia church - Capital and base of window (lower row left), Katholikon - Capital and shaft of arcade (lower row right). The drawing is entitled: 'Monastery of St Luke of Stiris Phocis' - 'Details of Capitals'. It is labelled as follows: 'Capitals of Pillars of Double Windows' (upper row), 'Capitals of Shafts of Triple Arcades in Interior of Great Church' (middle row), 'Capital and Base of mullion in Window of Central Apse of Small Church' (lower row left) and 'Capital of Shaft of Arcade in Interior of Great Church' (lower row right).
Capitals, bases, brackets and cobles. The drawing is labelled as follows: 'Detached Capital', 'Detached Bracket' (upper left corner), 'Corbels under Arches in Exo-Narthex Small Church' 'Narthex Small Church', 'Narthex Great Church' (right-hand side), 'Capitals to Pillars in Crypt' and 'Various Capitals & Bases to Window Mullions' (at the bottom of the Drawing).
Carved lintels (details). The drawing is labelled as follows: 'Details Of Curved Lintels Now Built Into Walls'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Details of various curved lintels, capitals, brackets, corbels. The drawing is labelled: 'Monastery of St Luke of Stiris Phocis', 'Details of Various Lintels, Capitals & Corbes'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Details of Kufic inserts, bands and window mullions. This is a preliminary drawing. Futher annotation in pencil and ink survives.
Details of carved courses around the apses.
Detail of band around walls at the level of the gallery. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in ink and pencil survives.
Details of doors (lintels) and of bands around walls at the level of the gallery. This is a preliminary Drawing.
Detail of band around walls at the level of the gallery. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in ink survives.
Various details of string courses, doors, marble panels, inlaid bands. The rawing is entitled: 'Monastery of St Luke of Stiris Phocis'. It is labelled as follows: 'String Course Round Inside of Dome', 'Carved String Course Round Apses of Small Church', 'Detached Fragment of String Course', 'String Course Round Topof Marble Panels', 'Shelf in South Transept', 'Inlaid Band Round Walls at Level of Gallery', 'Door to Narthex Small Church', 'Dooeway Shewing Painted Decoration', 'Details of Door from Narthex into Great Church', 'Details of Various Doors' and 'Various Details of String Courses, Doors, etc.'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Doorways, lintels. The drawing is labelled: 'Doorway to North Transept' and 'West Doorway'.
Lintel (details). This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Details of lintels, doorways and of the baptismal font (on the reverse). This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Tympanum of west doorway (detail). This is a preliminary drawing in two sheets. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Tympanum of west doorway (detail). This is apreliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Gallery level- Carved slabs in lower parts of windows (details). This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Carved slab in lower part of window. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Carved slab in lower part of window. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Carved slabs filling the lower parts of window openings and fronts of galleries. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Carved slabs filling the lower parts of window openings and fronts of galleries. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Carved slab in lower part of window, (on the reverse) Detail of the shrine of Hossios Loukas (north trancept). This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Carved slab in lower part of window. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Carved slab in lower part of window. Further annotaion in pencil survives.
Carved slab in lower part of window. Further annotaion in pencil survives.
Gallery level- Carved slab in lower part of window. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Carved lintel. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Carved slab in lower part of window. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Tympanum of west doorway (detail). The drawing is Entitled: 'Monastery of St Luke of Stiris Phocis', 'Detail of West Doorway of Great Church'.
Carved slabs in lower parts of windows. The drawing is entitled: 'Monastery of St Luke of Stiris Phocis', 'Carved Slabs Filling in Lower Parts Of Window Openings'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Carved slabs in lower parts of windows. The drawing is entitled: 'Monastery of St Luke of Stiris Phocis', 'Carved Slabs Filling in Lower Parts Of Window Openings'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Katholikon, galleries - Carved slabs in lower parts of windows. The drawing is entitled: 'Monastery of St Luke of Stiris Phocis', 'Carved Slabs Filling in Lower Parts Of Window Openings And Fronts of Galleries'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Carved slabs in lower parts of bema screen. The drawing is entitled: 'Monastery of St Luke of Stiris Phocis', 'Detail Of Carved Slabs In Lower Part of Screen To Bema In Great Church'.
Details of slabs and fragments. The drawing is entitled: 'Monastery Of St Luke Of Stiris Phocis', 'Details Of Shrine Of Various Slabs & Other Fragments'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Pierced window slab (detail). Further annotation in pencil survives.
Detached carved slab (detail). Further annotation in pencil survives.
Detached carved slab (detail). Further annotation in pencil survives.
Slab in the iconostasis. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Detail of the shrine of Hossios Loukas. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Dome - Carved slab. This is a preliminary Drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Dome elevation (detail with sculpture), Part of elevation (on the reverse). This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Sculpture (capitals, slabs). This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Sculpture (details of parts of the epistyle (architrave) of the iconostasis screen. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Sculpture (details of capitals, slabs and of parts of the epistyle (architrave) of the iconostasis screen). Same on the reverse. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Sculpture (details of capitals, slabs and of parts of the epistyle (architrave) of the iconostasis screen). Same on the reverse. This is a preliminary Drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Proskynitarion. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.