The Alison Frantz Photographic Collection contains images by the photographer and archaeologist Alison Frantz (1903 - 1995). The photographs mainly depict Archaic and Classical sculpture, Greek archaeological sites and various finds. The collection was created between the late 1940’s and the early 1970’s. The images have illustrated numerous publications, among them: Korai, Greek Archaic Maidens (Gisela M. A. Richter, 1968); The Archaic Gravestones of Attica (Gisela M. A. Richter, 1961); Olympia, The Sculptures of the Temple of Zeus (Bernard Ashmole and Nicholas Yalouris, 1967) and The Parthenon Frieze (Martin Robertson and Alison Frantz, 1975).
All the negatives in the collection are the property of The American School of Classical Studies at Athens . Any form of reproduction without permission is forbidden.Tuesday 18 April 2017
Monday 20 March 2017
A Description of the Collection of Ancient Marbles in the British Museum
Part VI of Ancient Marbles in the British Museum, published in 1830 (with an introduction by Charles Cockerell) deals with the Parthenon pediments.
Part VII, published in 1835, is devoted to the Parthenon metopes and Part VIII, published in 1839, the Parthenon frieze. Both books can be found in ebook form on Google books.
Monday 13 March 2017
The Antiquities of Athens, volume 2, Stuart & Revett (1787)
The first volume of The Antiquities of Athens Measured and Delineated by James Stuart F.R.S. and F.S.A. and Nicholas Revett Painters and Architects, was published in 1762, eight years after the authors had returned to London. This delay allowed Julien-David Leroy to beat them to press with his Les ruines des plus beaux monuments de la Grèce (1758).
The second volume, dedicated to the monuments of the Acropolis: the Parthenon, the Erechtheion and the Propylaea, appeared in 1787
Thursday 9 March 2017
Travels in Greece, R. Chandler (1776)
Travels in Greece, or, An account of a tour made at the expense of the Society of Dilettanti
Chandler, Richard (1738-1810), Published 1776
Friday 1 January 2016
Partial Reproduction of Captain's log, HMS Braakel (National Archive - ADM51/1462)
Captain George Clarke's log of the British man-of-war, Braakel, which ran aground entering Piraeus harbour on December 23, 1802.
[Captain Clarke was the brother of the mineralogist and fierce critic of Lord Elgin, Edward Daniel Clarke]."I have already mentioned the dangerous Navigation of the Archipelago, and it is considerably increased as you advance towards Porto Leone; particularly if the Ship is of any great burden. At the close of the year 1802, the Braakel of 54 guns, commanded by my brother Capt. George Clarke, was sent on this hazardous service: which he accomplished at the most imminent risk—the following extract from his Letter will illustrate the danger which Falconer so well describes:
"From the ignorance of the Pilot, the Braakel, when in stays, struck at midnight on a point of land, that forms the entrance of the harbour of Porto Leone, eight miles from the town of ATHENS. I contrived to land a quantity of Provisions on the Rocks, and was obliged to order half the guns to be hove overboard; at the same time a Sheet Anchor, and Cable, were got out astern to heave the Ship off, which we in vain attempted for many hours: at length, to our great joy, being assisted by the Wind coming strong right off the Land, we swung round off, and rode stern to wind by the above mentioned Anchor. In about an hour the Weather changed; the Wind shifted, and placed the Ship with a strong Gale, and heavy Sea, close to the Shore. The Cable was instantly cut, and we made sail to get round the northern extremity of the point; when the Pilot, again mistaking the Land, we anchored in a wrong position, yet clear of the Rocks; until the wind shifting, placed the Ship in the middle of a second dark stormy Night. We came slap on shore, along-side the Rocks: fortunately the Ship lay tolerably easy, being assisted by the Anchor; which owing to the Wind shifting, brought it well out on the starboard Bow. Day-break at length appeared, and the Gale shifted again: hove on the Anchor, and succeeded in getting her off after a few hard knocks, the loss of a little Copper, and part of the false Keel. Made sail again, weathered our danger, and anchored for want of Wind; when, a breeze springing up, we got safe into Porto Leone. In performing this we lost the Sheet Anchor, the Stream, and the Kedge. On leaving this Harbour we were driven back three times; when I bore up for Port. Oliver, in the Island of METELIN, where there is an Harbour beyond description safe, and spacious. I do not think this is generally known; or what is more, that the Turks build Frigates there; one of 32 guns was at this time on the stocks." G. C.
(The Shipwreck, a Poem, Wm. Falconer, ed. J.S.Clarke (1806) pp.207-208)
December 23, 1802 Port Lyon at noon __ distance 2 or 3 miles. [he gives description of various bearings and distances]. 14 past 2 the ship struck the ground in __, called all hands, put launch, fired guns for assistance, took out a stream anchor astern, hove upon it and broke the anchor close to the stock, got some of the guns aft. Carried out a kedge with a hauser hove upon it but to no purpose it coming home (?) sent a boat onshore for assistance. At 10 came alongside a vessel and a party of men from the shore. Took up the sheet anchor at astern, hove upon it but could not move her. At noon light breezes and cloudy. People employed starting water and hoisting of provisions and sending them onshore and getting the guns aft to lighten her forward being afloat abaft (?).
December 24, 1802 (ADM51/1462 - Braakel) Friday, light breeze and cloudy. People employed land provisions ahead of the ship, at sunset fresh breeze and squally. Threw overboard 16 guns and several cask of provisions. At 1 a.m. a heavy squall from the northward swang off the shore and the sheet anchor bro’ us up f_ the sails slipped the sheet cable and hoisted up __ stay sail. The wind shifting to the southward and blowing strong. Let go the small bower in 20 __ __ a cable when we again took the __ and swinging with our broadside to the rocks. At daylight light breeze with a heavy swell from SE hove up the small bower and with help of the swell got up anchor and towed into prt piarus [sic] at noon. Came to with the small bower in 6 fathoms water. Ran from the ship the pilot we took in at Smyrna to pilot us to Athens.
December 25, 1802 Braakel at anchor in Piraeus.
December 28, 1802 Tuesday "...[getting ship] ready for getting cases of antiquities of Lord Elgin."
December 29, 1802 Wednesday "...rigged a raft to take onboard the cases of stone. Towed the raft out of the harbour and weighted with sheet anchor."
December 30, 1802 Thursday "...Received onboard several cases employed stowing them away on the lower deck."
December 31, 1802 Friday "...3 cases employed stowing them away in the hold.
January 4, 1803 Tuesday, "more cases, employed stowing them away. Up anchor and weighted further up the harbour. Came to in 4 ½ __ Moored."
January 5, 1803 Wednesday "4 cases stowing them away in hold."
January 6, 1803 Thursday "Employed as yesterday, 2 cases got them on the lower deck."
January 7, 1803 Friday "Employed as above."
January 8, 1803 Saturday “…received two small cases…”
January 10, 1803 “sent the launch and cutters to endeavour to get the guns, but it coming on to blow hard, was obliged to desist.”
January 11, 1803 “stowed the sheet anchor. Towed out of harbour the raft and weigh _ pounders.”
January 12, 1803 “towed the raft in and got onboard the 6 pounders.”
January 15, 1803 Saturday, fired a salute of 11 guns as the English consul coming onboard. Towed the raft out and weighed two 12 pounders.”
January 17, 1803 weighed three 12 pounders & one six.
January 18, 1803 hoisted guns in. Punished John Hardman with 60 lashes and James Barnes with 24 lashes, each for theft.
January 19, 1803 weighed three 12 pounders. Got in three guns and towed the raft out.
January 25, 1803 was lying outside the Piraeus.
January 25, 1803 Onboard 14 (or six) cases of Antiquities. Employed hoisting them in.
January 26, 1803 Employed as yesterday.
February 2, 1803 at 11 am. sailed HMS Diana (Elgin to Malta).
February 4, 1803 Made sail out of Port Piarus [sic], at 10 punished James Barnes with 36 lashes for theft.
The Braakel spent the rest of the year in the Aegean mooring at Martalena, Smyrna, Constantinople and was in Valletta harbour from December 22, 1803 until January 25, 1804.
Elgin's booty, having spent almost a year as ballast, was transferred to the Prevoyante and on to England.
It is not unreasonable to assume all costs for transportation were borne by the Royal Navy.
Wednesday 19 August 2015
Wednesday 15 July 2015
Getty Publications Virtual Library and Open Content Program
The Getty Publications Virtual Library has made a wide variety of books covering the fields of archaeology, architecture, conservation, art, photography and the humanities available to read online, or to download in their entirety, for free.
The Getty had previously launched the Open Content Program which made thousands of images of works in its collections freely available.
Friday 3 July 2015
The Doric and Ionic Orders
"An Order in architecture is a certain assemblage of parts subject to uniform established proportions, regulated by the office that each part has to perform". [Joseph Gwilt, The Encyclopedia of Architecture]
Monday 30 March 2015
virtual tour of the Acropolis
Take a virtual tour of the Acropolis with high-resolution aerial panoramic photographs
Friday 13 February 2015
Conserving the Caryatids (Συντήρηση Καρυάτιδας)
Acropolis Museum conservators restoring the Caryatids (the Korai from the south porch of the Erechtheion temple).