Walter Logan Fry was born in 1909 in Akron, Ohio, and graduated from Ohio University. In late 1933, he took a job in Liberia with the United States Trading Company, a subsidiary of The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, headquartered in Akron.

The United States had had a long interest in Liberia going well back into the early years of the 19th century; and starting in the mid-1920s, The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company saw Liberia as a place to plant rubber tree plantations.

Walter L. Fry left for Liberia in January, 1934 via the American West African Line with Charles Brelsford, Harvey Firestone, Sr.'s secretary. Brelsford became assistant manager of the plantation and radio operator. Father worked in USTC's Bank of Monrovia as Cashier, where he joined two other Americans.

During his nearly two year stay, Father collected a variety of art and ethnographic objects, including 6 Dan brass figures; a Mende mask; animal hoof jewelry; silver, iron and aluminum jewelry; woven bags; 2 hammocks; knife (sword) with leather scabbard; iron spear; raffia mats; strainers with handles for preparing palm oil; "tailored" cotton shirt; cotton strip cloth; wool strip cloth (goat or camel hair) with geometric weft inlay; raffia bags; and cast, silver lizard. Many of the objects are strikingly similar to objects in The Peabody Museum (Cambridge) and the American Museum of Natural History. All were collected in the same time frame (1934-35).

Father also wrote a number of letters, beginning January 15, 1934, describing the voyage to Liberia, the people he met there, and the country and countryside. The last of these letters is dated September 20, 1935. He also took numerous photos of Liberian people, houses, boats, markets, etc. One photo shows the interior of his house, with one of the figures on a shelf.

All of the objects, letters and photographs have stayed in the home. My brother and I played with the sword and spear, and we both used the hammocks.

The baskets have suffered severe deterioration, save for one; but all of the other items have remained safely in several trunks in the attic.

I twice tried to obtain more information on the objects from curators and scholars at the highest echelon in the field, without success. In 1989, with objects in hand, a top curator of African art called the figures "tourist art" of not much value. The descriptor "tourist art" was repeated in 2003 by another curator of a major collection of African and Oceanic art; although he compared them favorably with work in his own collection. He did not refer to the artist, Ldamie.

My mother, Frieda M. Fry, died in March, 2006. I received the full collection. I once again tried to obtain information about the work, this time with more success. In Tribal Arts Forum, I found a reference to Ldamie as the creator of the most recognized body of brass-cast figures from Liberia. This led me to the catalog for "Four Dan Sculptors," an exhibition at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, and to guest curator Barbara Johnson herself. And I have since spoken with other people knowledgeable about brass figures from Liberia--and Ldamie.

It is now time to bring the collection to a broader audience: to understand a small part of the early history, culture and economics of Liberia; and to increase appreciation for the great artist Ldamie. My son, Michael W. Fry of Oberlin College, has performed a major part of the work necessary to achieve these goals.

Collection Data

Walter Logan Fry was in Liberia only once: 1934-35. The ship on which he took passage, the S. S. Padnsay, was torpedoed and sunk by allied forces in 1941 in the Mediterranean (then as the Caterina, under Italian flag).

Letters confirm his presence in Liberia in that period. Some refer to the purchase of objects now in the collection, although none of the letters extant refer to the figures.