Arthur S. Barduhn (b. 1922), son of Carl E. and Blanche Etta Douglas Barduhn, began studying piano at age 4 and formed his first band at age 15, while attending Lincoln High School in Seattle. Barduhn attended the University of Washington School of Music intermittently beginning in 1941, studying composition and conducting. He joined the Coast Guard in 1942, serving at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu as a Seaman 1st class; later, having proven himself as a musician and performer, his rating was changed to Musician 2nd class. Barduhn performed with the Coast Guard band in 1943 and 1944, first in Honolulu, then in the St. Louis Guard District.
After the war, Barduhn formed a quartet with three fellow servicemen, traveling to play at lounges and hotels. Barduhn performed with various musicians before forming the Art Barduhn Trio in the early 1950s, with Barduhn playing piano, vibraphone and accordion, Glenn Thompson on guitar and Russ Phillips on bass. The trio performed at many venues in Seattle and elsewhere, with regular gigs at the Georgian room of the Olympic Hotel, the Grove Club in the Grosvenor House, and contracts for work in other states, including a summer stint at the Gay 90s Bar in the Last Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas. The group also recorded music with Linden records.
Barduhn's early musical career grew hand-in-hand with his television and radio career with KING-TV in Seattle. In 1949, Barduhn and University of Washington classmate Stan Boreson were invited by KING-TV to participate in "Campus Capers," a local 15 minute television show featuring university students. Afterwards, Barduhn and Boreson starred in their own television show "Two B's at the Keys," which offered viewers music, parodies, and comedy sketches, with an emphasis on the Scandinavian humor for which Boreson is still known. The two musicians, along with trio members Glenn Thompson and Russ Phillips, were contracted with the Clipper Oil Company in 1950 for the radio-television show "Clipper Capers." The trio plus Boreson also performed in People's National Bank's "People's Parade" in 1952-1953, and in public service radio programs for the Office of Price Stabilization. The popularity of the group grew as a result of this exposure, increasing the demand for live performances by the Art Barduhn Trio and Stan Boreson.
Art Barduhn married his wife Marie in Minneapolis in 1946 and the couple had a son and daughter. Art Barduhn continues to perform as a musician based in California as of 2009.
Photographs, scripts, correspondence, and other materials related to the early musical career of Seattle musician and performer Art Barduhn.
Early photographs depict Barduhn's parents, and Barduhn and his older brother, Allen, as children. The beginnings of Barduhn's musical career are documented in photographs of his performances as a musician and leader of a Coast Guard band, circa 1942-1943, including performances in Honolulu, where he was stationed. The photographs follow the trajectory of his career throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s, depicting early trios as well as the group with which Barduhn made a name in local television, radio and live performances: Barduhn, guitarist Glenn Thompson, bassist Russ Phillips, and accordionist and humorist Stan Boreson. Photographs, correspondence, contracts, scripts and ephemera document the group's performances in front of live audiences and well as in the KING-TV studio, and the various TV and radio programs with which the group was involved in the early 1950s.
Arranged in series and subseries:
View selections from the collection in digital format by clicking on the camera icons in the inventory below.
The collection is open to the public by appointment.
The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
Collection on Art Barduhn, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle
Gift of Feliks Banel; received in 2008.
Processed by Leila Martin and Jody Hendrickson, 2009.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Writing on verso: Buddie - 4 years, Arthur - 15 months
Writing on verso: To Auntie Gertie & Uncle Will From Buddie - age 10 and Arthur - age 7. Xmas 1928.
Stamped on verso: Art Barduhn, ME 21431, 2107 No. 57th, Seattle. Wash.
Written on verso: A.D. Barduhn S1c R
Barduhn is pictured playing piano, string bass and trumpet.
All 3 images are marked on verso: Art Barduhn S1c R
Typed on verso of 11: Maier Lehner and Barduhn give out with a terrific vocal. (Just ask
them)
Typed of verso of 12: "Wolves" in Hilo. Pictured with the CO and his wife.
Written on verso of 14: Frank "Buss" Gauding on bass. "Broadcast"
Other musicians identified on verso as: Reeves Leo Murphy "Murph" on guitar; George "Willard" Powers on bass; Howard Lemon on drums; and John Maier on trumpet
Typed on verso: This picture for my good friend and instructor PM "Mac" McClure. Chief Corricks US Navy Band. Art Barduhn S1c USCG at the piano.
Showing Art Barduhn on piano and trumpet.
Photographs printed in lower border: "Art Barduhn Trio" and "Exclusive Management The Jack Belmont
Agency. Seattle Office-314 Second & Pine Building.
The photographs depict Barduhn on vibraphone or accordion, Thompson on guitar and Chamberlain on double bass.
Photo 25 printed as 8 x 10 and as postcards, with caption in lower border: Art Barduhn
Trio.
Photo 26 inked on photo: Art Barduhn 3
Guitarist is the same as in 25 and 26.
Printed in lower border: Art Barduhn Trio.
Printed as 8 x 10 and postcard.
Printed in lower border: Art Barduhn Trio.
8 x 10 printed in lower border: Art Barduhn Trio.
Postcard printed in lower border: The Art Barduhn Trio. KING-Television. Linden Records. Management: Associated Booking Corp. Beverly Hills, Calif.
Three publicity shots of the trio printed as one photo, with caption: The Art Barduhn Trio. More than "a Trio of Trios" Linden Records
Color photograph
Printed with inscription: Sincerely Art Barduhn and Stan Boreson on "Clipper Capers"
This series of photographs documents a visit by Commander Eddie Peabody of the U.S. Naval Reserve, accompanied by Art Barduhn, to the U.S. Naval Hospital in Bremerton Washington. Includes 4 photographs of Peabody and Barduhn visiting and performing on Ward "A," and 4 photographs of Barduhn on piano and Peabody on banjo, performing in an auditorium in the Recreation Building of the hospital.
The trio is the same depicted in photos 25-26.
Accompanied by various other individuals, including a man on piano, a woman singing, and a police officer singing.
One 35mm color slide and 1 print
Written on menu: The Olympic Trio. Famous all over the Country
Barduhn with unidentified group of men and one woman outdoors, presumably a band on tour. A chartered North Coast Lines bus is visible in a few of the photographs.
This set of snapshots depicts Art Barduhn, Russ Phillips, Glenn Thompson and Stan Boreson and others on a television screen performing in what appears to be an episode of their show "Clipper Capers."
In the letter, Pratt suggests to Barduhn that he might want to reduce the glare of his bald pate on television by using a hairpiece. The 3 "styles" are annotated on back with humorous descriptions.
Art Barduhn provided the music for the programs.
October 1944, April 1945 and May 1945 issues of U.S. Coast Guard publication
Letters of thanks from the State of Washington, the American Red Cross, the U.S. Naval Hospital at Bremerton, and the Office of Price Stabilization for musical performances.
Materials which mention Art Barduhn and the Art Barduhn Trio
Related to the Art Barduhn Trio's 11 week engagement at the Gay 90s Lounge of the Hotel Last Frontier in Las Vegas.