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Variety Arts Press.
If you landed here, it is likely that you are searching for one of our special-interest publications, so thanks for your perseverance!

Note that this website purposefully retains its fixed-width design and logical organization ... so you can easily find what you're looking for.

Established in 1983 as a publisher independent of "the big five" by the journalist, editor, publication designer, and performing artist Reginald W. Bacon, Variety Arts Press brings into print information-packed books on a variety of history and performing arts topics.

Variety Arts Press is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Independent Publishers of New England (IPNE), and numerous professional associations in the history and performing arts fields.

The fine print ...
news & awards

In 2020 The Micro-Historian's Guide to Research, Evidence, & Conclusions (2018) was re-published for global and e-book distribution by Rowman & Littlefield, the leading publisher of academic books in the fields of museum studies and public history. The book is now in use at more than 50 colleges worldwide. (A limited number of the Variety Arts Press first printing remain avalable. (If you already have a copy, you have a "collectors item"!)


Chauncey Richmond & "The Old Buckbee" was featured in late 2018 at this Smithsonian affiliate museum in Bristol, Va. "A Banjo Factory in the Bronx?: New Findings About John Henry Buckbee," was presented by the author at a conference of the nation's foremost banjo scholars, banjo makers, and collectors. The genealogical research component of the book received special recognition at the 2019 Literary Awards of the Connecticut Society of Genealogists.


Vintage from Vinyl: Early Recordings of the Goodtime Ragtime Vaudeville Revival was nominated for the 2018 ARSC Award of Excellence in Historical Research by the Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC), an international body of musicologists and audio preservationists.


The HABs and the HABs NOTs: Documenting the Architecture of Newburyport in the Historic American Buildings Survey was honored with the 2017 Book Award for Informational Nonfiction from Independent Publishers of New England.


Early Families of Middletown, Conn. - Vol. I: 1650-1654 was honored with the 2013 Brainerd T. Peck Award for Family History. The prestigious award --- and cash prize --- were presented by the Connecticut Society of Genealogists. Read more about the award and read the CSG book review here.

Welcome ...

Welcome to Variety Arts Press, an award-winning independent publisher of non-fiction books on under-the-radar history; performing arts specialties; and the crafts of editing, typography, and design.

Note that this website purposefully retains its fixed-width design and logical organization ... so you can easily find what you're looking for. (Warning: Strenuous scrolling may be necessary!)

From this page you can:

BROWSE BOOKS BY TOPIC via the left-side menu ...

OR ... GO STRAIGHT TO THE BOOK YOU WANT
from the list of titles and their links below.

At each book's FULL DESCRIPTION PAGE, you can also read the contents and introduction, view full-size front-cover and back-cover images, and purchase-and-pay securely via PayPal. Happy reading!

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Available titles ... listed by publication date:

Click on a title and you'll go straight to the full description page.

HOT OFF THE PRESS! Early Families of Middletown, Conn. - Vol. II: 1655-1700 (2024) by Reginald W. Bacon. (Volume II - The long-awaited 448-page hardcover heavyweight!)

Early Families of Middletown, Conn. - Vol. I: 1650-1654 (2012, 2024) by Reginald W. Bacon. (Revised hardcover reprint in 2024.)

Jazzin' On 4 Strings: Hot Jazz in Chicago Tuning for Tenor Banjo, Tenor Guitar, Baritone Ukulele, Banjo Uke, and More (2023) by Reginald W. Bacon ... a.k.a. "Mr. Slim." (Hot off the press in 2023 ... and still sizzlin'!)

The Juggler's Anthology of Venerable Veracities: Practical Instruction, Applied Physics, & Insightful Observations from Early Published Works on the Juggler's Craft (2021) (Compiled with context & commentary by Reginald W. Bacon). (A title in The Throwback Series on acrobatic juggling technique, history, training, practice, and performance.)

The Juggler's Trilogy of Timeless Techniques: All Three Rare Books of Arcane Early-20th-Century Juggling Artistry in One Volume (2021) by Anglo (Thomas Horton), Will Goldston, & Rupert Ingalese (compiled with context & commentary by Reginald W. Bacon). (A title in The Throwback Series on acrobatic juggling technique, history, training, practice, and performance.)

The Juggler's Alphabet Book: The ABCs of Inspiration, Encouragement, History, and Fun for Literate Jugglers of All Ages (2019) by Reginald W. Bacon. (A title in The Throwback Series on acrobatic juggling technique, history, training, practice, and performance.)

The Micro-Historian's Guide to Research, Evidence, & Conclusions: Step-by-Step Research Planning & Execution (2018) by Reginald W. Bacon.

Chauncey Richmond & "The Old Buckbee": The Story of a Banjo, Its Maker, and Its Player (2018) by Reginald W. Bacon.

The HABs and the HABs NOTs: Documenting the Architecture of Newburyport in the Historic American Buildings Survey (2017) by Reginald W. Bacon.

Vintage from Vinyl: Early Recordings of the Goodtime Ragtime Vaudeville Revival (Book & CD set) (2017) by Reginald W. Bacon.

The Visitor's Guide to the Weeks Brick House & Gardens (2015) by Reginald W. Bacon.

The Wesley H. Bacon Reader: Pursuits, Passions, & Peregrinations of a 20th-Century Autodidact (2015) by Wesley H. Bacon (memoirs, short stories, & scripts compiled & edited by Reginald W. Bacon).

The Cranky Typographer's Book of Major Annoyances: Helpful Graphics Tips for Do-It-Yourself Designers (2014) by Reginald W. Bacon.

The Cranky Editor's Book of Intolerable Fox Paws (Oops! Faux Pas!): Helpful Writing & Style Tips So You Won't Look Stoopid (2014) by Reginald W. Bacon.

Early Families of Middletown, Conn. - Vol. I: 1650-1654 (2012, 2024) by Reginald W. Bacon. (Revised hardcover reprint in 2024.)

Just a Tot in Tannersville: The Recollections of a Railroad Avenue Boy on the Busy Summer Life of the 1950s (Two books in one, incorporating A Micro-History of the Tannersville Four-Corners) (2011) by Reginald W. Bacon.

3 1/2 Centuries in Greenland: The Weeks Brick House Farm of Greenland, N.H. (2010) by Neill DePaoli, Ph.D.

The Juggler's Manual of Manipulative Miscellanea: The Classic Skills with Top Hat, Cane, Plates, Nesting Cups, and Assorted Objects (1984) by Reginald W. Bacon a.k.a "Mr. Slim". (A juggling "best-seller" now part of The Throwback Series.)

The Juggler's Manual of Cigar Box Manipulation & Balance (1983) by Reginald W. Bacon a.k.a. "Mr. Slim". (A juggling "best-seller" now part of The Throwback Series.)

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Variety Arts Press authors include:

Authors published and/or anthologized by Variety Arts Press include (in alphabetical order): Fred Allen, Reginald W. Bacon, Wesley H. Bacon, Hardin J. Burlingame, Caroline Caffin, Harry Cameron, John Campbell, Paul Cinquevalli, William DeLisle, Neill DePaoli, W. C. Fields, William G. Fitzgerald, Will Goldston, Jack Greene, William Hazlitt, Paula K. Higgins, H. J. Holmes, Albert A. Hopkins, Thomas Horton, Rupert Ingalese, Frederic LaDelle, Hugues Le Roux, Carl Martell, Henry Mayhew, Robert J. McConkey, Frank E. Miller, W. Ellis Stanyon, Alfred G. Stephens, Percy T. Tibbles, and Solomon Weiland.

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Looking for R.W. Bacon, showbusiness version?

To those looking for the veteran acrobatic juggler/unicyclist, jazz tenor banjoist, and comic dancer --- Yes, that's me. I am several years retired from a 35-year career in commercial showbusiness, but still keep much of the repertoire stage-ready, and include performance excerpts in the Vaudeville history presentation for museums, "A Vaudeville Retrospective." My wife and partner, the sensational club-juggler L.J. Newton, retired from 25 years on stage in 1999. Today we remain happy, healthy, and injury-free after a well-traveled career. (See the Variety Arts Enterprises web site for additional information, especially the profiles on selected mentors and friends.) Since I was a journalist, editor, and publication designer before showbusiness, and a researcher, historian, and author during that career, the transition to publishing and the museum/history field was a natural fit. To distant friends, longtime fans, fellow performers, and former juggling/circus arts students, I would be glad to hear of your recent adventures. To new friends and museum/history colleagues intrigued about the performing arts career, please feel free to explore the various links at the Variety Arts Enterprises web site. Thank you. --- Reg Bacon