Sex & Sexuality
Research Collections from The Kinsey Institute Library & Special Collections
Explore changing attitudes towards human sexuality, gender and sexual behaviours in America and beyond, throughout the 20th century.
Sourced solely from the renowned Kinsey Institute Library & Special Collections, this unique collaboration makes available essential primary sources from the tenures of the first three Institute directors: Dr. Alfred C. Kinsey, Dr. Paul Gebhard and Dr. June Reinisch.
Sex & Sexuality provides unprecedented access to collections from prominent sex researchers and sexologists. Papers from Dr. John Money and Dr. Harry Benjamin document advances in areas such as diverse as biology, health and medicine, sociology, anthropology, and psychology, whilst collected research from Alice Withrow Field and James W. Edwards offer important investigations into criminology and global attitudes towards sex.
FEATURING HANDWRITTEN TEXT RECOGNITION (HTR):
Enhanced with Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR), the Kinsey Era (1939-1959) and Gebhard Era (1960-1969) Correspondence Collections document changing research interests, institute donations and guidance provided to thousands of individuals and organisations across three decades of the Institute. Read more about HTR or watch our demonstration video.
CONFIDENTIALITY, PRIVACY & COPYRIGHT
For more than 70 years, The Kinsey Institute Library & Special Collections has promoted the study of human sexuality, whilst ensuring the highest standards of confidentiality and privacy for donors and individuals represented within archival collections.
This unique collaboration broadens access to collections for the digital age, representing the next chapter of the Institute’s commitment to facilitating access and study on the global stage.
The Kinsey Institute Library & Special Collections and Adam Matthew are committed to ensuring individual confidentiality and privacy continues to be respected and protected within this digital medium. Sensitive or personal identifying information has therefore been removed or redacted across all collections included in Sex & Sexuality, and every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and donors where permission does not directly lie with The Kinsey Institute Library & Special Collections.
Modules include:
Module I: Research Collections from The Kinsey Institute Library & Special Collections
This module focuses on sexology and the work of sex researchers, combining advice sought by members of the public with the corresponding answers, thoughts on research proposals and work sent by academics and medical professionals to the Kinsey Institute. It also includes pamphlets and flyers from various organisations and advocacy groups, discussions surrounding sexual behaviours, and the corpus of donated work from researchers looking at specific areas – for example Alice Field, who worked specifically on sex offenders in New York and young girls remanded for prostitution in the wayward minors court.
Module II: Self-Expression, Community and Identity (Publishing in 2020)
The second module from this collection, sourced from the Kinsey Institute Library & Special Collections, offers significant insight into the complex and myriad identities of human sexuality by making available official records of pressure groups and community organisations, diaries, correspondence, ephemera, papers of noted sexologists, and more. Topics covered by material include LGBTQI+ individual personal histories from the late nineteenth century to the present day, accounts of grassroots organisations, self-expression in the form of diaries and correspondence, and the personal stories of LGBTQI+ activism.
Key Data
Period Covered
- 20th century
Highlights
- Research files by sexologist Dr. Harry Benjamin provide key insights into the study of prostitution, gender dysphoria and transsexualism during the 1960s and 1970s
- Extensive notes from sex researcher and criminologist, Alice Withrow Field, focusing on the New York City Sex Offender Study (1951-1956)
- The Kinsey Era (1939-1959) and Gebhard Era (1960-1969) Correspondence Collections document changing research interests, institute donations and guidance provided to thousands of individuals and organisations across three decades
- Papers from sex researcher, James W. Edwards, examine attitudes towards sexual identity, birth control and sexual behaviours across South, East and Southeast Asia
- The complete Dr. June Reinisch syndicated advice column, The Kinsey Report (1984-1993), published across America, provided guidance on all facets of human sexuality
Source Archive
- The Kinsey Institute Library & Special Collections
Material Types
- Correspondence
- Newsletters
- Reports
- Pamphlets
- Ephemera
Editorial Board
- Hallimeda E. Allinson, Indiana University Bloomington
- Professor Judith Allen, Indiana University Bloomington
- Andrew Clark-Huckstep, Indiana University Bloomington
- Professor Paul Deslandes, University of Vermont
- Dr Lesley Hall, Wellcome Library Research Fellow
- Liana H. Zhou, The Kinsey Institute
Subjects
- Identity
- Sexual health
- Sex education
- Reproduction
- Organisations, associations & societies
Key Features
- Detailed collection guides
- Chronology of 19th and 20th century developments in attitudes towards sex & sexuality