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 transept - Floor opus sectile (detail). This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Bema - Floor opus sectile (detail). The same on the reverse. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. Drawings survive on both sides.
Floor opus sectile. This is a preliminary drawing.
Ground plan. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in ink and pencil survives. The drawing depicts half of the ground plan of the church. The other half is depicted in drawing no. 01/08/03/11/01 (BRF 01/01/07/05). W.S. George also worked on these drawings (1907-1909).
Ground plan. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
The polygonal tower . The photograph is annotated in pencil at the back: 'The polygonal tower at the S.W. angle of the Castle Patra'.
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 of church and tower. The drawing is entitled in ink: 'Church of the Pantanassa at Mistras - Transverse Section looking West 1/4 Scale'. Further annotation in pencil survives. This is a preliminary drawing. The unfinished sketch of an elevation of the Pantanassa Church survives on the reverse.
Dome - The Ascension (detail). The mosaic decoration in the dome is dated to the late 9th c. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Transverse section. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Longitudinal section showing some iconography in the dome and on one of the apses (3 Hebrew boys in fire?). This is a preliminary drawing in pencil with annotation. Original drawings by Schultz and Barnsley with later contributions by W.S. George (1907-1909)
Transverse section. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Longitudinal section with walling. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
North elevation (detail). This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
East elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in ink survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
East elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Details of the walling. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Plan of the ambo (pulpit). This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Elevation of the ambo (pulpit). This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909) contributed to the preliminary drawings of this church.
Cross section with iconography. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in pencil: 'Pantanassa Church - Mistras'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Cross section. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
Part of elevation (sections of the lower part of the church). This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
North elevation. The drawing is entitled in pencil and ink:'Mistras - Pantanassa Church, Side Elevation'. Further annotation in pencil survives. This is a preliminary drawing.
South elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil and crayon. The unfinished sketch of a plan of the church survives on the reverse.
Parts of sculpture. This is a preliminary drawing. It is dated (1890) in pencil in upper left-hand corner.
Dancing close to the north side of the church. Further annotation in pencil survives at the back of the photograph.
East elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in pencil: 'Church of S. George Androusa, East End, 1/2 Scale).
Plan of the church with plan of the domes.
Plan of the church with plan of the domes. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
Details of the sculpture decoration of the church. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
Closure slab from the templon. This is a preliminary drawing.
Enthroned Virgin with Christ child. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
Part I of a 3 part panoramic view of the city from the minaret of Hagia Sophia. The photograph is initialed in pencil in the upper right-hand corner (SHB). It is stamped (Copyright Robert W.S. Weir & The Byzantine Research & Publication Fund). It is annotated in pencil in the upper left-hand corner (Salonika (W) from S. Sophia). The photograph has been removed from the BSA Study Collection.
Part II of a 3 part panoramic view of the city from the minaret of Hagia Sophia. The photograph is initialed in pencil in the upper right-hand corner (SHB). It is stamped (Copyright Robert W.S. Weir & The Byzantine Research & Publication Fund). It is annotated in pencil in the upper left-hand corner (Salonika (Centre) from S. Sophia). The photograph has been removed from the BSA Study Collection.
General view. The photograph is dated and annotated in pencil at the back.
Part III of 3 part panoramic view of the city from the minaret of Hagia Sophia. The photograph is initialed in pencil in the upper right-hand corner (SHB). It is stamped (Copyright Robert W.S. Weir & The Byzantine Research & Publication Fund). It is annotated in pencil in the upper left-hand corner (Salonika (East) from S. Sophia). The photograph has been removed from the BSA Study Collection.
Elevation (East end, next to central apse)-Rough sketches of architectural members (capitals). This is a preliminary drawing. It is entitled in pencil on the upper right-hand corner: 'San Donato Murano. Rough Sketch done on the spot for a drawing of the apse'. It is annotated in pencil. It is initialed (RWS) and dated in pencil in lower right-hand corner.
Elevation (East end, next to central apse)-Rough sketches of architectural members. This is a preliminary drawing. It is annotated in pencil.
Tower. The photograph is initialed (F.W.H.) in pencil at the back. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Fragment of harbour wall. The photograph is initialed (F.W.H.) in pencil at the back. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Tower. The photograph is initialed (F.W.H.) in pencil at the back. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Tower. The photograph is initialed (F.W.H.) in pencil at the back. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Interior of the nave of the basilica looking east. The photograph is annotated in pencil at the back. See also photos nos. 02/13/26/02 (BRFno 02/03/01/41) and 02/13/26/03 (BRFno 02/03/01/42).
South aisle wall (the junction). See also photo no.02/13/24/01 (BRFno 02/03/01/32).
General (bird's eye) view of the Armenian convent. The photograph is annotated and dated in ink at the back: 'ARMENIAN CONVENT FROM GREEK TOWER. BETHLEHEM. 1908'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
View inside the Greek convent. The photograph is annotated in pencil at the back.
Closer view inside the convent. The photograph is annotated in pencil at the back.
Interior view of the north apse from the south. The photograph is annotated and dated in ink at the back: 'BASILICA. BETHLEHEM. N. APSE FROM S. APSE. 1908'. See also photos nos. 02/13/27/03 (BRFno. 02/03/01/46) and 02/13/27/04 (BRFno. 02/03/01/47).
Interior view of the north apse from the south. The photograph is annotated in pencil at the back. See also photos nos. 02/13/27/02 (BRFno. 02/03/01/45) and 02/13/27/04 (BRFno. 02/03/01/47).