EDWARD FORT FRY died of a heart attack Apr. 17, 1992, at Bryn Mawr Hospital. Born in Philadelphia and educated at Haverford, he lived a good part of his life on the Main Line.

At Princeton Edward majored in English and was a member of Charter. After Princeton he tried Harvard Law School , and he then transferred to Fine Arts, where he obtained an A.M. in 1961. He continued his studies at the Sorbonne and the Bibliotheque Nationale, from 1961 to 1963.

From 1963 to 1966, he taught at Princeton; he then went to the Guggenheim Museum in N.Y.C. (19671971), as associate curator. His stint was marked by some controversy, as one artist, Hans Haacke, portrayed slumlords, some of whom turned out to be Guggenheim trustees. The museum canceled Haacke's exhibition, whereupon Ed resigned.

He returned to teaching at Princeton, Yale, Harvard, and the Univ. of Pennsylvania, where he was Andrew Mellon Professor of Art History. He was known for his published work on cubism. In 1987 he was codirector of "Documenta," a survey of international art held every five years in Kassel, Germany. He also worked with PiQrre Dais and William Rubin on the organization of "Picasso and Braque: Pioneering Cubism," held at the Museum of Modern Art in 1989.

He believed art must contribute to social betterment and selfawareness. He was a member of the Episcopal Church and the Century Assn. of N.Y.C. He is survived by his widow, Alexandra Ericson; his stepdaughter Magdolena; and a sister. Edward was a modern Renaissance man, catholic in his approach to life, allembracing in his love of art.