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After the death of Sir Titus, alpaca fiber continued to enjoy the luxury reputation it had claimed during his life. Alpacas were shorn annually in South America, and the fiber was sent to Liverpool on consignment.
In 1922, the arrival of Frank Michell in Peru changed the way alpaca was delievered to Europe and beyond forever. Michell was a man of vision. He realized that processing the wool in its native country. Here is an interesting article about Frank Michell and the contribution he made, and a bit of modern alpaca history. This article brings together the last 100 years in Peru - all the way up through the 20th century, the Shining Path, Fujimora's Peruvian Presidency, and ending in the present day Michell farm in the Altiplano.
At the same time Frank Michell was starting his alpaca processing business, a young man by the name of Julio Berrada inherited a herd of alpacas from his mother. This herd, called Accoyo after the native sandy soil in the area, would change the history of the alpaca world.
Many articles, and even books, have been written about Don Julio Berrada. Here are some that I have found to be especially informative.
1. This article is written by Mike Safley - his first trip to Accoyo and the selection of the first Accoyo animals to be imported to America.
2. Another Safley article here - written in 1994. "A Conversation with Don Julio" - quite literally. Interesting history of both Don Julio and the Peruvian alpaca industry. Long, but very worth the time.
3. This article has it all - Don Julio's beginnings, his ideas for animal husbandry and breeding principals, the upheaval of the Socialist Land Reform, the Shining Path terrorists, and even has a picture of the animal Don Julio considered to be the "ideal" - Shere Khan.
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