Well before the Kinsey reports, turn-of-the-century Stanford University hygiene professor Dr. Clelia Duel Mosher did a scientific survey of the sexual habits of her era’s women. Dozens of women — mostly born before 1870 — told Mosher about their intimate thoughts, sexual habits and appetites, and their relationships with their husbands. Kara Platoni looks at Mosher’s life and career — and what she found out about her subjects’ attitudes toward carnal pleasure.
Search
Victorian Era Sex Survey
Well before the Kinsey reports, turn-of-the-century Stanford University hygiene professor Dr. Clelia Duel Mosher did a scientific survey of the sexual habits of her era's women.
Monthly Issue
April 2026
In this monthly issue, we examine how our understanding of energy — and how we source and use it — is evolving.
1 video
11 articles