Capturing Culinary Delights: How Photography Became My Escape from Stressful Research

Catriona Byers leads a unique double life. By day, she’s a food stylist, arranging beautiful dishes for magazines. By night, she dives deep into the darker side of history, focusing on morgues in 19th-century Paris and New York.

Growing up in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, Catriona found herself drawn to two very different fields. “Working with food is a nice change from my research, which can be heavy,” she says. Yet, even in food styling, remnants of her darker interests occasionally surface. Once, while styling cereal boxes, she noticed a Rice Krispie that resembled a skull. “I thought, ‘Come on, stop seeing skulls everywhere!'” she laughs.

In her academic work, Catriona studies the connections between urban death, policing, and medicine. She actively shares her insights on the BBC podcast After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds and the Paranormal. Her upcoming book, Morgue, is set to be released in 2027.

Catriona’s journey into food styling blossomed during her time at the University of Manchester, where she studied history and French. Her dissertation examined photography in 19th-century Paris, especially how it captured women labeled as “hysterical.” Comparing these photos to those from spiritists, trying to capture the departed, sparked her interest.

“I had a tough time nearing the end of my college years and thought I’d never study again. But I fell into food styling,” she admits. Cooking and arranging food for photos became a way to support herself while returning to her academic passions.

Her interest in food began as a hobby, eventually leading to an internship at a food magazine. She even spent time styling food in Paris. Today, she still cherishes that part of her life. “It’s about the practical details—averting my mind from heavy topics while focusing on creating something beautiful,” she explains.

Through her research, Catriona discovered a fascinating morgue in Paris where the dead were displayed publicly until burial. By the end of the century, it attracted about one million visitors each year. Catriona sees this as reflecting society’s complex relationship with death: “It’s not just about how we remember but who we choose to forget.”

As of now, the food styling industry thrives alongside a growing interest in historical research. Catriona’s work illustrates how blending passion with profession can yield surprising and meaningful life paths.

For more insights into urban history and forensic studies, check out the findings by the British Journal of the History of Science.

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