Bertha Berner was Jane Stanford's long-time private secretary and companion. She joined Stanford on her two trips to Egypt, in 1901 and the winter of 1903/1904, and can be seen in surviving photographs of the journey. Berner's journal provides some details of the party's time in Egypt. In 1935, she published a biography of Jane Stanford titled Mrs. Leland Stanford: An Intimate Account, which also describes their travels in Egypt. For example, she recounts Stanford's enthusiasm for visiting the famous sites and the assistance Chauncey Murch provided as a guide and in selecting antiquities for the University Museum.
Reverend Chauncey Murch was Director of the American Presbyterian Mission at Luxor, Egypt, for around 25 years. An antiquarian, collector, and middleman in the trade, he supplied Egyptian antiquities to museums and assisted private collectors during their time in Egypt. Jane Stanford and Bertha Berner met Murch and his family in Luxor in 1901, staying with them again in 1904. Murch served as a personal guide and helped Stanford select and aquire antiquities for the Stanford Museum. Murch later corresponded with Stanford. He served as an intermediary in her Egyptian collecting, introducing her to Émile Brugsch.Emilia Porubcin63ec028064958b3240cc8e4e010f355faa0c8e12
Jane Stanford supported her son Leland Stanford Jr.'s interest in archaeology and antiquities during his life and continued collecting in his memory after his death at the age of fifteen. When her husband, Leland Stanford, was alive, they both acquired and donated items from Egypt and other places for the Leland Stanford Junior Memorial University Museum. Her work continued after her husband's death, taking her on two trips to Egypt to network with dealers and acquire antiquities in person. Stanford's personal secretary, Bertha Berner, joined her for both trips: the first in 1901, the second in the winter of 1903/1904. She worked closely with Harry Peterson, the first curator of the university's museum.Emilia Porubcin63ec028064958b3240cc8e4e010f355faa0c8e12