This is a new photo just released from the Eric Berne Family Archive. It is from the ITAA’s 8th Annual Summer Conference held in Monterey, California in August, 1970. The conference took place approximately 1 month after Eric’s unexpected death.
The individuals in the photo (from left to right) are: Ellen Berne (Eric’s only blood daughter – she was 25 at the time), David Kupfer, Franklin Ernst, Viola Callaghan, Ken Everts, and Claude Steiner.
The “theme” of the conference was changed radically due to Eric’s death. As a result, it became more of a tribute to the legacy of Eric Berne, and this photograph reflects it. The expressions on Ellen Berne’s face tells us all we need to know about the mood of the conference.
