Summary: Italian and international folkdance enthusiast, instructor and author. Papers include diaries, correspondence, writings, pamphlets, brochures, photographs, records relating to her early life in New York City and to numerous Italian-American folkdance organizations in New York and Philadelphia. Organizations include Folk Festival Council of New York, Coro D'Italia, and Esperia Dancers, all of New York City; I Vivaci Choral and Dance Group, Folk Dance Leaders Council, Folk Dance Demonstration Group, I Ballerini Dance Group, Italian Folk Arts Federation of America, all of Philadelphia. The papers also document Gurzau's career as a teacher and social service worker with the New York YWCA's Italian Mother's Club program in the 1930s, Philadelphia Nationalities Service Center, 1945-1982, and Philadelphia Committee for Italian Relief, 1940s. They include drafts and research materials for her book, Folk Dances, Costumes and Customs of Italy, 1964, rev. ed. 1981.
Correspondents: Thomas Cotton, Leonard Covello, Michael Herman, Mary Wood Hinman, Reed Lewis, Patricia Parmelee, Eddy Nadel, Viltis Beliajus, Frank Farabegoli.
Item Description: Photographs separated from the collection are in the library's Visual Catalog.
Physical Description: 15 lin. ft. : photos.
Finding Aid: Unpublished register available in repository.