The Soderholtz Birdbath

In 2019, as the Beatrix Farrand Garden Association was in post-production for our feature documentary “Beatrix Farrand’s American Landscapes” an unexpected and amazing outcome resulted from an email to our supporters and fellow Farrand enthusiasts. John Danzer, the furniture designer and collector behind Munder Skiles, reached out to then BFGA horticulturist Anne Symmes asking if our garden would be interested in a generous and incredible gift. Danzer had in his personal collection a broken birdbath made by Eric Soderholtz, the potter who worked closely with Beatrix Farrand for many decades and created many of the beautiful pieces on display at Dumbarton Oaks. The birdbath which he donated to us is an example of the concrete pieces which Soderholtz made that were inspired by his love of birds and the vibrancy and movement they bring to a garden. We have recently had the piece restored with the generous support of the Kelly family in loving memory of our late garden volunteer Tom Kelly. It has been installed in the east gate bed of the Wild Garden and we invite you to come see it soon.

Eric Soderholtz’s associations with Beatrix Farrand and his creative and storied life can be read about in this wonderful article from the Downeast Dilettante. You can also read an article from 1908 that describes Soderholtz’s fascinating manufacturing method below. Soderholtz was a bird lover, as evident in a pamphlet/catalogue he published about the importance of attracting and supporting their presence in gardens with shallow bowls for drinking and bathing, where he wrote “Did you ever try the experiment of being friendly with Nature? The birds, the bees, the little four-footed creatures, the flowers, the grasses, the trees — all respond to friendly advances. With a little encouragement a barren bit of land will transform itself into a veritable gem of out-door beauty.”

Here’s a link to a 1922 issue of Bird Lore, a bird lover magazine, which contains an advertisement for Soderholtz birdbaths.