The Lams of Ludlow Street
Thomas Holton

BAXTER ST is pleased to present The Lams of Ludlow Street, a solo exhibition by photographer Thomas Holton, presented as part of the organization’s Mid-Career Initiative. Spanning over two decades, this deeply personal body of work chronicles the evolving lives of a single Chinese-American family in Manhattan’s Chinatown, offering an intimate exploration of identity, belonging, and the everyday moments that shape our understanding of home.

Since 2003, Holton has immersed himself in the life of the Lam family, capturing both the private and public dimensions of their world with an unfiltered, empathetic lens. What began as an artistic inquiry into his own Chinese heritage has evolved into a lifelong commitment to storytelling—one that reflects the complexities of family, migration, and cultural hybridity in contemporary America.

A lifelong New Yorker of mixed Chinese and American descent, Holton has long grappled with a sense of detachment from his Chinese roots. His photographic journey with the Lams became both a creative and personal act of connection, a way to bridge the gaps in his own identity through the lens of another family’s experiences. The resulting images document adolescence, marriage, resilience, and the quiet, unscripted moments that define family life.

Presented at a time when Chinatown, like many immigrant communities, faces profound social and economic shifts, The Lams of Ludlow Street serves as both a visual archive and a meditation on what it means to belong. Holton’s images remind us of the power of long-term storytelling—of what it means to bear witness to time, change, and human connection.

Photo credit: Thomas Holton