DEVON COX, Ph.D., is an American-born writer and historian currently living and working in London. His debut biography, The Street of Wonderful Possibilities: Whistler, Wilde & Sargent in Tite Street, was nominated for the William MB Berger Prize in British Art History. He also edited Constance Wilde's Autography Book, 1886-1896 (Oscar Wilde Society, 2022). He is currently working on a new biography of the artist John Singer Sargent (1856-1925).
‘What a group biography ... Cox bounces back and forth across Tite Street, rallying his subjects like characters in a high-class soap opera... an assured and dazzling debut.’
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‘A well-informed, nicely produced book about Tite Street in merrier, cheaper times, when it could claim to the be epicentre of art in England.’
-Nicola Shulman, Evening Standard
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‘This book is a fascinating and absorbing record of a time when Chelsea was at the edge of the avant garde.’
‘Cox has done an admirable job of marshalling his material ... The book is well-populated with the voices of its protagonists and their critics, lending it a rich anecdotal texture and allowing the great egos of Tite Street to speak for themselves.’
-Thomas Marks, The Telegraph
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‘... with paintings by Whistler, John Singer Sargent, Walter Sickert and others from their Tite Street circle, The Street of Wonderful Possibilities covers the idol worship, arrogance, incestuousness and innovation emerging from this slice of the city.’
-Edwin Heathcote, the Financial Times
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‘This exceptionally handsome book - a biography of the street, its residents and their connections - elucidates some of [Tite Street's] possibilities. And pretty wonderful they are too.’
-Matthew Sturgis, Country Life
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‘Cox's beautifully written book is not only a scholarly and entertaining description of a vanished world but also a valuable work of reference.’
-Jane Dorrell, the Chelsea Society
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‘This well-researched, and eminently readable biography of one street in London, whose occupants make up a dramatic personae of outstanding talent over a period of 120 years ... The result, with a red ribbon tastefully tied around it, would make a lovely box of chocolates.’s
-The Lady
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‘Cox paints an ingenious group portrait of the artists, writers, critics, architects and luvvies who pursued the muse to Chelsea. The new houses being built to residents' specifications in Tite Street weren't just homes or studios but, Cox argues, expressions of aesthetic ideologies... in bricks and mortar.’
-Standpoint
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‘... an engrossing, detailed and somewhat melancholy group biography.’
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‘... an important book.’
-Peter York, World of Interiors
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‘What a marvellous, magical discovery this is. Constance Wilde, as ever, deserves our respect, attention and thanks. As you go through this remarkable book, the Victorian voices fly from the pages, bringing the Wilde household and its circle stunningly alive.’
-Stephen Fry
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‘Devon Cox provides useful critical apparatus throughout, pitched to those reading for pleasure and academic research alike.’
-Professor Kate Hext, The Times Literary Supplement
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‘This beautiful book, full of fascinating detail, opens a door to an extraordinary world and introduces us to a remarkable woman. The more we know of Constance Wilde and her circle, the more time we want to spend with them.’
-Gyles Brandreth