British School at Rome Architectural Drawings Collection

Collection

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection comprises 198 architectural drawings executed by various BSR Rome Scholars in Architecture between 1910s and the early 1950s, and plans of the BSR building designed by Edwin Lutyens and his office, in the person of William Squire, Resident Architect of the works in Rome (1912-1916). The inventory of drawings made by BSR scholars includes plans, surveys and reconstructions of ancient and later buildings in Rome and Italy by sixteen Scholars in Architecture, some of which also designed sections of the BSR building during the subsequent phases of its construction. The items from this collection are an integral part to the history of the BSR.

Reference number

ARC-DRA

Dates

1912 - 1951

Creator

British School at Rome (Owner, Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Access to these materials is granted under the supervision of Research Collections staff.

Conditions Governing Use

Items from this collection may not be reproduced without permission obtained by the BSR.

Historical note

Over the course of its activity, the BSR ammassed a considerable number of architectural drawings executed either by Scholars in Architecture during the their award tenure or designed by professional architects and by some scholars for the construction of its building in Valle Giulia, Rome. Sir Evelyn Shaw, who was Honorary General Secretary both of BSR and the 1851 Commission (1912-1947), ensured that all Rome scholars, artists as well as architects, deposited their main work in Rome in the London office. Some of these drawings were mounted, glazed and framed, others were kept in plan chests (portfolios and rolls) in the London office of the BSR at 1 Lowther Gardens, which was also the office of the Royal Commission of the Exhibition of 1851.

The decision to deposit the architectural drawings with R.I.B.A. was formally minuted in the minutes of the Faculty of Architecture (09.07.1985). Information about the V&A move were formally minuted in the BSR Council minutes (25-06-2001).

Extent

198 Drawings

154 Drawings

44 Drawings : one drawing is in two parts.

Language of Materials

No linguistic content; Not applicable

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Architectural drawings of former BSR Scholars in Architecture (1913-1933) as well as plans and elevations of the BSR building executed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and some BSR scholars (1912-1951).

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into two sections: the Rome Scholars in Architecture Series and the BSR Building Series.

Custodial History

After much discussion with R.I.B.A. representatives, this collection was deposited with the R.I.B.A. Drawings Collection in two batches, respectively in 1985 and 1991. Two lists, A and B, were attached when both loans took place and are now available for consultation in the Archive Office. Discussions between the BSR and R.I.B.A. about transforming this loan into a gift took place thorughout the years. In the early 2000s, R.I.B.A. decided, as a temporay measure, to move the entire collection to the Victoria and Albert Museum, in the Henry Cole Wing. In 2019, thanks to a generous contribution of the BSR Chair, the collection found its way back to the BSR. A Conservation and Research Project on these remarkable drawings was launched in 2020.

Provenance

All the architectural drawings were left or donated by the award-holders to the BSR as a permanent record of their Scholarship.

Related Materials

This material is related to the Building and Site sub-fond.

Other institutions holding related materials are:

R.I.B.A. Collections, London.
The Architectural Association Archives, London.

Bibliography

British School at Rome (1982),The Classical tradition in British architecture: an exhibition of selected works by Former Rome, Henry Jarvis and Special Scholars in Architecture together with Bernard Webb students in architecture, 1912-82 : The Building Centre, 26 Store Street, London WC1, 1982.. London: Faculty of Architecture, British School at Rome.
Petter, Hugh (1992), Lutyens in Italy: the building of the British School at Rome . London, Rome: British School at Rome.