When describing the Microfading Tester International Discussion Group (MFT-IDG), conservation scientist Paul Whitmore is mentioned early and prominently as the originator of the microfading tester (MFT), which can assess the in situ light sensitivity of an object. While an aspiration of the MFT-IDG had been to interview Paul, he efficiently pointed us to an FAIC oral history conducted in 2020 with Kelsey Wingel, and housed at the Winterthur Museum, Library, and Archives.
This fascinating three-part oral history covers the breadth of Paul’s career: Part 1 documents his discovery of conservation and conservation science and his early work at Caltech and the Fogg Museum; Part 2 examines his time at Carnegie Mellon (succeeding Bob Feller) and the invention of the MFT; and Part 3 discusses research dissemination and decision-making while at Yale’s Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage. A link to the oral history can be found in the “References, Resources, Databases, Publications” section of the AIC Wiki page on MFT (located at the bottom of the page), as well as in the library of the MFT-IDG online community (which you can join for free at this link).
Many thanks to @Joyce Stoner and @Joelle Wickens from Winterthur/University of Delaware for graciously sharing this document with us, and to @Paul Whitmore and @Kelsey Wingel for such an illuminating discussion!