The painter Andrey Avinoff, born into one of Russia’s most distinguished families, immigrated to America in 1917. An entomologist, like Kinsey, Avinoff served as vice-president of the entomological society and collected what is considered to be the most complete collection of Asiatic butterflies in the world. He served as Director of the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh from 1926-1945. As an artist, Avinoff is mostly known for his paintings of orchids.

Avinoff and Alfred Kinsey met in March of 1948. Avinoff began several projects with Kinsey including assembling a history of erotic art, expanding the Institute’s art collection, and comparing the sex histories of artists, singers, musicians, and ballet dancers with the histories of non-artists. Unfortunately, these projects were not completed before Avinoff died the following year.