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.
West elevation (detail). This unfinished drawing depicts the lower part of the restored bewteen 1850 and 1855 west façade of the Lykodemou church. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
North elevation (detail). Only parts of the original walling of the north side of the church were preserved. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
South elevation (detail). Only parts of the original walling of the south side of the church were preserved. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
South elevation (detail). Only parts of the original walling of the south side of the church were preserved. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
East elevation. The elevation depicts the restored between 1850 and 1855 east façade of the church.
East elevation. The elevation depicts the restored between 1850 and 1855 east façade of the church. The word 'Superseded' is inscribed in the top right-hand corner.
South elevation. Only parts of the original walling of the south side of the church were preserved. The drawing is entitled:'Church of St Nicodemus Athens', 'The South Elevation'.The church has been misnamed.
South elevation. Only parts of the original walling of the south side of the church were preserved. The drawing is entitled: 'Church St Nicodemus Athens', 'The South Elevation'. The church has been misnamed.
Clockwise from top left: West elevation, North elevation of the Lykodemou church, Ground plan and north-east elevation of the chapel of Androussa, Ground plan of the Lykodemou church, Longitudinal section showing the decoration of the two storeys, East elevation of the same church. A note on the background reads:'Church of St. Nicodemus at Athens', 'Previous to the restoration as the Russian Church'.The church has been misnamed. Further annotation in pencil and ink survives.
Starting clockwise from the upper row: Longitudinal section, Transverse section (naos), Transverse section (narthex). The note 'S. Nicodemus Athens' survives in the bottom right-hand corner. The church has been misnamed.
North elevation. Only parts of the original walling of the north side of the church were preserved. The drawing is entitled: 'Church of St Nicodemus Athens', 'The North Elevation'. The church has been misnamed.
Ground plan (bottom), Plan at gallery level (top). The words 'Nicodemus Athens' are inscribed at the bottom of the page. The church has been misnamed.
Transverse section through naos(bottom), Transverse section through narthex (top).
Longitudinal section (bottom), Plan of the dome and the roof. The plan of the roof has been left unfinished.
Rubbing - Detail of the Kufic/pseudo-Kufic frieze.
Rubbing - Detail of the Kufic/pseudo-Kufic frieze. A sketch (plan) in pencil survives on the reverse.
Rubbing - Detail of the Kufic/pseudo-Kufic frieze. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Rubbing - Brick pattern. The ornamental brickwork of the Lykodemou church consists of cut bricks decorated with Kufic/pseudo-Kufic motifs and Christological characters.
Rubbing - Detail of part of the continious ornamental frieze that decorates the drum of the dome just below the cornice. Two confronted deers are depicted running. This is the first of a series of drawings that reproduce the decorative motifs of the frieze. The drawings are numbered in pencil by the creators. Various sketches (columns) survive on the reverse.
Rubbing - Detail of part of the continious ornamental frieze that decorates the drum of the dome just below the cornice. The drawing reproduces a detail of the guilloche pattern. This is the second of a series of drawings that reproduce the decorative motifs of the frieze. The drawings are numbered in pencil by the creators. The words 'S. Nicodemus Athens' and 'Russian Ch.' are inscribed on the drawing. The church has been misnamed. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Rubbing - Detail of part of the continious ornamental frieze that decorates the drum of the dome just below the cornice. The drawing reproduces a detail of foliate patterns. This is the third of a series of drawings that reproduce the decorative motifs of the frieze. The drawings are numbered in pencil by the creators. The words 'Russian Ch.' are inscribed on the drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Rubbing - Detail of part of the continious ornamental frieze that decorates the drum of the dome just below the cornice. The drawing reproduces a detail of foliate patterns. This is the fourth of a series of drawings that reproduce the decorative motifs of the frieze. The drawings are numbered in pencil by the creators.
Ground plan. The Drawing is entitled (in pencil): 'Athens Church of Our Lady of the Great Monastery'.
Clockwise from top left: West elevation, East elevation, Longitudinal section, Transverse section. The west elevation is particularly interesting since It depicts the west façade of the church and its decoration before the extensive restorations of 1911. The drawing is entitled (in pencil): 'Athens- Church of Our Lady of the Great Monastery'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan (left), Transverse section (right). The drawing is entitled: 'Ch of the Saviour Athens' '1/4 Inch Scale'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Transverse section, Parts of architectural members (capitals, columns). This is a preliminary drawing. The words 'Athens S Saviour' are inscribed in the top right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives. Various sketches in pencil (a cross section, sketches of columns) survive at the back.
North elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. The words: 'Athens St Saviour ?' are inscribed in the top right-hand corner. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan. The drawing is entitled: 'Athens - Church of the Saviour' Further annotation in pencil survives.
North elevation (left), Transverse section (right). The drawing is entitled: 'Athens - Church of the Saviour'.
Transverse section. This is a preliminary drawing.
Elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan. The drawing is entitled: 'The Parthenon in Christian Times'. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
West elevation. Preliminary drawing.
North elevation. Preliminary drawing.
South elevation. The drawing depicts the bowls which were used as tympanun ornaments throughout the monument. Unfortunately, few of them are original. The erawing is entitled: 'Church of St Theodore', 'South Elevation'. Further annotation in ink survives.
East elevation. The drawing depicts the bowls which were used as tympanun ornaments throughout the monument. Unfortunately, few of them are original. The drawing is entitled: 'Church of St Theodore', 'East Elevation'. Further annotation in ink survives.
Longitudinal section (top), Ground plan (bottom). Further annotation in ink survives.
West elevation (top), Transverse section (bottom). Further annotation in ink survives.
South elevation (top), North elevation (bottom). The drawing depicts the bowls which were used as tympanun ornaments throughout the monument. Unfortunately, few of them are original. Further annotation in ink survives.
East elevation. The drawing depicts the bowls which were used as tympanun ornaments throughout the monument. Unfortunately, few of them are original. Preliminary drawing.
Rubbing - Detail of the ornamental terracotta panel-frieze (champleve process). The drawing is numbered as the first of a series. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Rubbing - Detail of the ornamental terracotta panel-frieze (champleve process). The drawing is numbered as the third of a series. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Rubbing - Detail of the ornamental terracotta panel-frieze (champleve process). The drawing is numbered as the third of a series. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Rubbing - Detail of the ornamental terracotta panel-frieze (champleve process). Further annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan. This is a preliminary drawing.. It is entitled (in pencil): 'Agia Zoni and Agios Spyridon'. A ground plan and sketches of other churches have been imprinted on it. Furher annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan. The words 'Hypapanti' (in Greek) iand 'Athens' are inscribed in pencil on the top of the drawing. A sketch of circular design in pencil survives at the back.
Ground plan. This is a ground plan of the cemeterial chapel, a three-aisled domed basilica dedicated to Hagios Nikolaos, which is located to the east of the monastic complex. A crypt with eight graves has been excavated below the church. The walling of the building is of typical cloisonné. The chapel is dated to the late 11th c. This is a preliminary Drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives.
Ground plan. This is a ground plan of the cemeterial chapel, a three-aisled domed basilica dedicated to Hagios Nikolaos, which is located to the east of the monastic complex. A crypt with eight graves has been excavated below the church. The walling of the building is of typical cloisonné. The chapel is dated to the late 11th c. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. A sketch (plan) in pencil survives at the back.