In the 1960s, Lily stayed in Peru for several months. Intrigued by the history of the Incas, she went high into the Andes in search of descendants of this legendary people. From the town of Cuzco, a centre for archaeological research, she visited surrounding villages. There she drew indigenous people with distinctive Inca features, who wore colourful ponchos and the wide-brimmed hats characteristic of the area. The excavated sites and artistic treasures of this ancient people were of particular interest to her.