UPCOMING EXHIBITION

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.

About Thomas Holton

Thomas Holton is a photographer and educator based in New York City. He received a BA from Kenyon College and a MFA in photography from the School of Visual Arts. His ongoing project, The Lams of Ludlow Street, has documented the life of a single Chinese-American family living in Manhattan’s Chinatown over 20 years. The project was published as a book in 2016 by Kehrer Verlag and has been shown in the United States and abroad at venues including The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, The Museum of the City of New York, the New York Public Library, and the Photoville photography festival . The work has also been featured by the New York Times, Aperture, The Guardian and many other periodicals. He has taught at the International Center of Photography and was co-founder of SVA’s VisuaLife photography program, working with at-risk teenagers in collaboration with the Children’s Aid Society in New York City. He is currently a photography educator in New York City where he lives with his family.

About BAXTER ST’s Mid-Career Initiative

Baxter St’s Mid-Career Initiative is dedicated to supporting lens-based artists who occupy the space between emerging and established careers. This initiative advances Baxter St’s mission to foster belonging in the cultural sector by providing mid-career artists with vital opportunities for solo exhibitions, public engagement, and professional growth.

About BAXTER ST at CCNY

Founded in 1884, BAXTER ST at the Camera Club of New York is one of New York City’s oldest artist-run nonprofit spaces committed to lens-based arts. Today, the organization is a socially engaged art incubator that prepares lens-based artists for their debut and helps them create sustainable practices to move forward with integrity. In addition to a year-round exhibition schedule, the organization hosts artist residencies, critique groups, and a public series of artist talks and workshops. Baxter St promotes artists of all ages, races, ethnicities, and identities whose work connects with global conversations on culture, human rights, environment, and equality. The organization is committed to uplifting artists by sharing ideas and resources and learning together to create profound and lasting change in our organization and communities.