Annotated Bibliography
Ling, Annie. “81 Bowery”. Annielingphoto.com. Web. 1 Dec 2022.
http://www.annielingphoto.com/81-bowery.
Exhibit source.
This is my exhibit source, a photography series by Annie Ling titled “81 Bowery”. The series
revolves around the lives of the building’s fourth floor residents and their living space, divided
into individual cubicles to minimize living cost. With a series of 28 photos, Ling guides us into
the interiors of one of the remaining longstanding “lodging houses” of Chinese immigrants at the
heart of New York City’s Chinatown. .Though only capturing a floor’s space, the contents of the
photographs within the series vary – a bundle of ripe bananas and a industrial metal mug against
the backdrop of a tattered teal counter, a man gazing upwards into space from his bunk, an old
ladying standing in her cubicle gazing at the streets beneath. Small details encapsulated within
the photo – a blanket cover with traditional print, Chinese calendars, tin cups and bowls – reveal
the heritage of the residents, along with the careful construction from limited resources of their
bubble: their living quarters, leisure space, and place of community.
Ling, Annie. “Floating Population”. Annielingphoto.com. Web. 1 Dec 2022.
http://www.annielingphoto.com/floating-population.
Critical source.
This is a critical source, offering additional critical perspective to the photo essay I choose to
analyze. “Floating population” is photography series by Annie Ling. The series aims to capture
the lives of New York City’s Chinese Floating population, those who left the country in the
Chinese Diaspora and now roam Manhattan, “chasing a dream in foreign lands”, being “alien in
exile with no fixed home” for the purpose of sustaining “loved ones left behind. This source
challenges my interpretation of Annie Ling’s first photo essay in the sense that it brings to light
the question of whether hardship in certain perspectives can also be beautiful, exquisite and
glitteringly Chinese. In my critical review essay, I might offer a brief comparison of Annie Ling’s
two photography series and their attributes. The question I am pushed to consider — to what
extent is hardship a 3-dimensional sentiment? Can hardship also be portrayed as beautiful?
Kte'pi, Bill. "Chinatowns." Asian American Society: An Encyclopedia, edited by Mary Yu
Danico, Sage Publications, 1st edition, 2014. Credo Reference, http://proxy.library.nyu.edu/
login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/sageasisoce/chinatowns/0?
institutionId=577. Accessed 01 Dec. 2022.
Background source.
This is a background source that provides context necessary for the comprehension of my Photo
essay. The source is an article from the Asian American Society Encyclopedia, offering a
comprehensive definition of Chinatowns and their history. One section is dedicated to
explaining the history of Chinatown in New York. This source is significant as it lends me insight
and background information that allows me to understand Ling’s work better. With the residents
of 81 Bowery(along with the building itself) occupied in Chinatown, a thorough grasp on that
part of the city will aid me in uncovering the full meaning of the photography series. I will most
likely bring this source to explain the context of the location where Ling photographed her series
81 Bowery. This source prompts me to think —how has Manhattan’s Chinatown developed/
shifted throughout the decades, and how does that affect its residents?
Wilson, Lonnie. "Chinese Immigration." Encyclopedia of Immigration and Migration in the
American West, Gordon Morris Bakken, and Alexandra Kindell, Sage Publications, 1st edition,
2006. Credo Reference, http://proxy.library.nyu.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/
content/entry/sageimaw/chinese_immigration/0?institutionId=577. Accessed 01 Dec. 2022.
Background source.
This is a background source tying to my former source — however, instead of focusing on the
geographical location of Annie Ling’s work, it brings light to the topic of the Chinese Diaspora,
inevitably tied to the identity and background of Ling’s subjects. The source details Chinese
immigration throughout history, from the 1849 gold rush to modern day. It also touches on
America’s societal friction on the topic of Chinese immigration(including the exclusion act), and
the way of life typically adapted by immigrants. I plan on using this source when describing the
typical lifestyle taken on by Ling’s subjects, or to provide additional context on the topic of
Chinese immigration when needed. A question this source pushed me to think — historically, has
Chinese immigrants faced the same hardships in their process of settling into America?
Kondabolu, Ashok. “Ashok and Annie Hit the Backyard.” Asian American Writers' Workshop, 7
Oct. 2021, https://aaww.org/ashok-and-annie/.
Background source.
This source is a background source — an interview of Annie Ling conducted by Ashok
Kondabolu of Das Racist. Within the interview, Kondabolu asks about Annie Ling’s childhood,
personal experience with displacement, and the inspirations behind her Photo series 81 Bowery.
From the interview, one gains abundant insight to who Annie Ling is as an photographer and an
individual, thus enabling us to better understand her works. I will most likely refer to this source
as I’m introducing the life of the photographer. Or, I will use it to highlight the themes Ling
makes prevalent across her work. A question I want to dive deeper into— does Ling’s personal
experience relate to the work she creates, and if so, how specifically?
Redazione. “Essere Madre in Islanda.” Internazionale, Internazionale, 13 Aug. 2015, https://
www.internazionale.it/foto/2015/08/13/islanda-madri-foto.
Critical source.
This article is a critical source that offers complementary critical perspective on the main body of
work I’ve chosen. The article is centered around Ling’s series called “Independent Mothers”, a
body of work centered around single/unmarried women with kids in Iceland. The women Ling
photographed live in different regions of the country, and are teachers, artists, students…Ling’s
work works to capture the tensions of the experience. I wish to introduce the work as I’m talking
about Ling’s work as a photographer as a whole, especially the themes she has a tendency to
touch on. My question after this source — what are the commonalities shared between Ling’s
bodies of work, and what is their significance?
“Tunica Studio — Annie Ling ‘Another Chinatown.’” Dec 01 2022. Tunica Studios, https://
tunicastudio.com/another-chinatown_-annie-ling/.
Critical source.
This is a critical source titled Annie Ling, “Another Chinatown”. This article dissects 81 Bowery
as a photography series, zooming in in certain photographs while also reflecting on the general
themes within her body of work. There is a special emphasis on how raw Ling’s work is —
instead of portraying the “Lunar New Year Parade” or “curio shops”, the photographs prod into
Chinatown’s “lived, unpicturesque” lives. I hope to introduce/reference this source as I myself
dig deeper to understand the meaning behind Ling’s work in 81 Bowery, the sentiments she
wrestles with, and the conscious choices she makes to frame and depict what she wishes to. This
source prompts me to think — is the audience encouraged to make multiple conclusions/
interpretations of the same piece of work?