APHEUM and the Alfred Ehrhardt Stiftung have collaborated to release a curated digital collection of 31 photographs from one of Alfred Ehrhardt’s key bodies of work, Nautilus – Muscheln und Schnecken (Nautilus – Shells and Snails). The collection, created between 1938 and 1941, will be permanently displayed at the Alfred Ehrhardt Stiftung in Berlin, with an APHEUM Frame M featuring the collection.
The APHEUM Frame M, a non-luminous image surface measuring 42 x 35 centimetres, will showcase Ehrhardt’s black-and-white photographs in a reflective manner, replicating the visual presence of a traditional print. The collection itself is entirely digital, allowing for easy management and the ability to change and select images without the need for physical prints.
Alfred Ehrhardt (1901-1984), a musician, painter, art educator, photographer, and filmmaker, was heavily influenced by the Bauhaus movement during his time at the school in Dessau in 1928-29. His later photography combined this artistic training with a precise eye for the forms and structures found in nature.
Ehrhardt began photographing shells and snails in 1938 and continued to explore the subject for decades. His photographs, captured against a deep black background with carefully controlled light, transcend natural-history specimens and become studies in material, rhythm, and nature’s principles of form.
According to Dr. Christiane Stahl, Director of the Alfred Ehrhardt Stiftung, “The photographs of shells and snails hold a special place within Alfred Ehrhardt’s work. They bring together his Bauhaus-informed understanding of form, his interest in material and structure, and his philosophy of nature. Making these 31 works accessible as a coherent collection opens another route into this important body of work.”
APHEUM’s Deep Grayscale rendering technology expertly reproduces the subtle tonal differences in Ehrhardt’s black-and-white photographs, bringing out the surfaces and sculptural structures of the images. This, paired with the ability to manage and change the collection digitally, provides a meaningful encounter with the work and its significance.
Christopher Colshorn, Founder of APHEUM, states, “For APHEUM, it is something special to be able to offer such an important and coherent body of work by Alfred Ehrhardt as a collection. These photographs reveal the richness that comes from such concentrated observation of form, light, and material. Our aim is not merely to make images visible, but to create a meaningful encounter with the work – giving it a lasting presence in the room while providing the context that reveals its significance.”
The collection will be available for purchase from September 10, 2026, and interested parties can find further information through APHEUM and the Alfred Ehrhardt Stiftung shop. For those wishing to view the collection in person, an APHEUM Frame M featuring the collection will be on permanent display at the Alfred Ehrhardt Stiftung in Berlin.
About Alfred Ehrhardt
Alfred Ehrhardt (1901-1984) is regarded as one of the notable figures of New Objectivity in German photography. Trained as a musician and active as an art educator, he studied at the Bauhaus in Dessau before increasingly turning to photography from 1933 and later to cultural and documentary film. He published more than 20 photobooks and made 60 films, receiving numerous national and international awards, including four German Federal Film Awards.
About the Alfred Ehrhardt Stiftung
Founded in 2002, the Alfred Ehrhardt Stiftung preserves and researches Alfred Ehrhardt’s artistic estate and brings his work to a wider public through exhibitions and publications. Its programme combines scholarly engagement with his photography and film with contemporary artistic perspectives. The foundation is based at Auguststraße 75 in Berlin-Mitte.
About APHEUM
APHEUM develops e-paper frames and a connected digital platform for presenting photography with the quiet visual presence of a traditional print. Images and curated collections can be managed and changed digitally, while contextual information provides insight into the artist, the work, and its history. Alongside personal photography, APHEUM enables curated collections to be presented in private, cultural, and professional environments.
Media Contact:
Christopher Colshorn
Email: presse@apheum.com
Telephone: +49 152 5143 4488
Website: www.apheum.com
