---
description: Sarah Sudhoff cataloged many of the devices, both contemporary and vintage, that the Kinsey Institute has used in its sex research.
title: Objects of Sex: 'Wired' at the Kinsey Institute
image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcc18543a0194ee2e/69879be92dce01653e9df288/01.jpg?branch=production&width=1920&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9
---
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# Objects of Sex: 'Wired' at the Kinsey Institute
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[Nicholas Hegel McClelland](/author/nicholas-hegel-mcclelland/)
## Nicholas Hegel McClelland
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Feb 15, 2012 7:00 PM CUT
Circular calibration device, 2011A device to calibrate instruments used to measure penile circumference. Consists of a 26-step plastic cylinder with steps ranging from 85 to 121 mm circumference.
Circular calibration device, 2011A device to calibrate instruments used to measure penile circumference. Consists of a 26-step plastic cylinder with steps ranging from 85 to 121 mm circumference.Sarah Sudhoff
by
[Nicholas Hegel McClelland](/author/nicholas-hegel-mcclelland/)
## Nicholas Hegel McClelland
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Feb 15, 2012 7:00 PM CUT
As a child, Sarah Sudhoff wanted to be a doctor. Her maternal grandparents were in the medical field, and she grew up with a healthy fascination for the human body. It’s fitting, then, that much of Sudhoff’s work relates to the human body and its frailty, a topic she finds instantly relatable. “I’m a naturally curious person and often seek photographic subjects that are less mainstream,” the Texas-based fine art photographer says. “I prefer pieces that leave a residue longer after I’ve walked away from the object or seen the photograph.”
Sudhoff had the chance to explore her passions in depth after she participated in the annual juried art exhibition at the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction in Bloomington, Ind., in 2008\. Her image, titled _Exam 2_, was selected for inclusion in the show and now hangs permanently in the Kinsey Institute. After her selection for the show, the photographer was invited to visit the Institute by Catherine Johnson-Roehr, curator of art, artifacts and photographs, as the Kinsey Institute’s first artist in residence in 2010.
“I spent four days absorbing medical journals and textbooks dedicated to the treatment of women in the early 20th century as well as hundreds of photographs of the female nude from the same time period,” Sudhoff says of her visit. “However on the last day of my residency, I witnessed a research assistant washing out a medical device in a small sink—the trough portion of the Biothesiometer. Although a rather routine event for everyone else at the Kinsey Institute, I was caught completely off guard yet intrigued.”
Up until that point, Sudhoff had not realized that psycho-physiological research was still being conducted at the Institute. “I stared at the instrument, wondering about the identity of the volunteer subject and the test being conducted. It was a potent reminder that sexual research is still happening, and it is just as pressing, and taboo, as it was 60 years ago,” she says.
This unexpected occurrence served as a catalyst for the project entitled _Wired_. In 2011, Sudhoff journeyed back to Bloomington to catalog many of the devices, both contemporary and vintage, that the Institute has used in its research.
“I spent months in the planning stages of the project, acquiring permission and arranging for my flight and accommodations. I only spent one weekend shooting,” she says. “I visited during Indiana University’s spring break while the Kinsey Institute was officially closed. It assured me uninterrupted time to work as well as prevented me from accidentally encountering volunteer research participants.”
Sudhoff believes some of our attitudes towards sex and our sexual selves have changed since the Kinsey Institute began its work, but much of the country is still quite conservative about sex and sexual acceptance.
“A few years ago, my husband went to a drugstore to purchase condoms. The woman behind him in line asked in a serious voice, ‘What, you don’t want to have children?’ ‘Not yet,’ my husband replied.” Sudhoff found herself both shocked and fascinated by the comment. “I found it interesting that a stranger was irritated enough to say something about our sexual habits and discuss them publicly, but at the same time, pass judgment on our choice to practice safe sex,” she said. “It left me wondering why it is only appropriate to discuss sex when it’s for reproduction and not for pleasure?”
Sudhoff still views the project as a work in progress and she’s exploring the possibility of adding additional devices to the series from research institutes like the Kinsey. “I’m not sure how the inclusion of another space and their instruments will work conceptually and aesthetically, but I feel it’s worth investigating,” she says.
_Sarah Sudhoff is a fine art photographer based in Texas. See more of her work_ [_here_](http://www.sarahsudhoff.com/ "undefined")_._
Circular calibration device, 2011A device to calibrate instruments used to measure penile circumference. Consists of a 26-step plastic cylinder with steps ranging from 85 to 121 mm circumference. Sarah Sudhoff
Male Vibrator I, 2011A male vibrator used in an ongoing project involving over 100 men. Circumference 4.7 in. (stretched approximately 6.3 in.). Overall size approximately 3 by 2 in. Sarah Sudhoff
Vaginal Photoplethysmograph IIMeasures vaginal blood flow indicating the level of sexual arousal in women. Circumference 2.4 in., length 3 in. Sarah Sudhoff
Shock Threats, 2011These videos were part of a larger selection of films used in a study on the effects of shock threat on men's decisions to watch sexual films. The study was an attempt to measure sexual risk-taking in the laboratory. Men were at risk of receiving electrical shocks the longer they watched a sex movie. Sarah Sudhoff
Necklace with scented pellets, 2011A necklace with scented pellets used in a study on the effects of fragrances (perfumes and colognes) on women's sexual arousal. Women were tested during two phases of their menstrual cycle. A total of 33 women participated. Pouch approximately 1.75 by 1 in. Sarah Sudhoff
Rigiscan, 2011Device that can be used to measure both circumference and rigidity of the penis. Used on hundreds of subjects over the past 15 years at The Kinsey Institute. Maximum loop size is 7 in. in circumference. Sarah Sudhoff
Oval calibration device, 2011A device to calibrate instruments used to measure penile circumference. Constructed by mounting a plastic cone consisting of two identical halves on a micrometer gauge. Increasing the distance between the two halves changes the shape of the cone from a circle to an oval. Used to calibrate instruments in 13 steps, from 85 to 160 mm circumference. Sarah Sudhoff
Vaginal Photoplethysmograph III, 2011Contemporary psychophysiological device which measures vaginal blood flow, indicating the level of sexual arousal in women. The positioning shield can be placed on the probe's cable in order to standardize the depth of insertion. Circumference of probe is 1.6 in., length 2 in. Sarah Sudhoff
Penis model for condom application, 2011Men's ability to apply condoms to a penis model are being compared to their skills in putting it on their own penis. Used in an ongoing study of over 100 men. Height is 7 in., circumference is 3.9 in. Sarah Sudhoff
Male Vibrator II, 2011A male vibrator used in an ongoing project, involving over 100 men. Circumference 4.7 in. (stretched approximately 6.3 in.). Overall size approximately 3 by 2 in. Sarah Sudhoff
Finger Cuffs, 2011Blood pressure is measured continuously using an instrument that is called the Portapres. Sarah Sudhoff
Role of Sexual Arousal in Sexual Risk Taking, 2011Used in a study on the role of sexual arousal in sexual risk-taking. In addition to being exposed to films that were preselected by the researchers, participants were allowed to select their own, based on a preselection of 10 different videos, depicting various kinds of sexual behavior. Seventy-six heterosexual and homosexual men participated. Sarah Sudhoff
Vaginal Photoplethysmograph IMeasures vaginal blood flow indicating the level of sexual arousal in women. Circumference 2.4 in., length 3 in. Sarah Sudhoff
Silver/silver chloride electrodes, 2011Silver/silver chloride electrodes that measure startle response. Small electrodes (4 mm diameter) are used to measure muscle activity, large ones (8 mm diameter) are used to measure skin conductance. Sarah Sudhoff
Mercury-in-rubber penile strain gauge, 2011This is a commonly used device to measure erections in men. Circumference 3.8 in. (stretched approximately 6 in.). Sarah Sudhoff
Biothesiometer, 2011A biothesiometer that measures flaccid and erect penile sensitivity to vibration. Used in ongoing study of over 100 men. Trough dimensions 2 in. in width and 4 in. in length. Sarah Sudhoff
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