Agnes Barchus, Eliza Barchus’ daughter, with Joseph Erdelac, purchaser of the remaining family art collection.

Going, Going, Gone! was how the Oregon Journal (Portland, Oregon) labeled this image when they reported the story: All of Eliza Barchus’ unsold paintings bought by Ohio man. (11/11/1977; Roger Jensen credited for image.) According to the story, Mr. Joseph Erdelac, of Cleveland Ohio, purchased 149 paintings which added to 26 others that he had earlier purchased. At the time, he told the Journal reporter that he would be offering “a substantial share” of his collection to the National Collection of Fine Arts, a wing of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. It is not known whether any paintings were ultimately ever offered to the National Collection but none are known to have been acquired.