From Visual Data to Fine Art: Photography Collections at The Kinsey Institute

The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction is known for its multidisciplinary approach to the study of human sexuality. Founded by Dr. Alfred C. Kinsey (1894-1956) in 1947, the Institute has long held a research collection consisting of books, journals, magazines, films, fine art, artifacts, and photographs. These materials were used by Kinsey and his research team for their groundbreaking study of sexual behavior, which led to the publication of two books, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female. Photographs were initially collected to provide visual data for scientific examination of sexual activity. In recent decades, the primary collecting focus has shifted from commercial and amateur erotic images to fine art photography. Today the photograph collection is used mostly by the Institute's curators for public exhibitions and publications, and by scholars.