1886 Cover NY To Brooklin City

I would appreciate some info about cancells

I will let others say something about the cancel and receiving mark, but this cover is not addressed to "Brooklyn City". It is addressed to "City" which simply means that it was mailed in New York City and addressed to a person who lived in New York City. During those years it was common for people all over the US to address letters that were going to someone who lived locally - in the same city - as simply "City". This particular cover was addressed to a person who lived at 291 Broadway Avenue, New York City. The sender abbreviated Broadway as simply "Bway". This is further confirmed by the letter which shows the address of the recipient as "291 Broadway, City" This letter was mailed from a company just up the street a little way at "600 and 602 Broadway". The reason this letter was mailed to an address so close to the address of the sender is that the content has a legal nature to it - the store is demanding payment and by sending a letter they are documenting their efforts to collect the money the recipient owes to them.

Interestingly, Mr Bamberger himself appears to have been a lawyer. Can't trust anybody!

Ira enjoyed women's hats?

Not necessarily. At the time, the honorific "Esq." was used to designate any gentleman. Its use only for attorneys is a modern development. Edit: the pencil notation on the cover suggests the cover came from an attorney's file handling a bankruptcy or reorganization. "In re Evarts (assignee) ... see letter enclosed."




Or men's. A milliner makes both.

As to the cancels, I will take a stab. The origin point (600 Broadway) is just below Houston St in today's SoHo and the destination (291) is near City Hall and what was the main Post Office at Park Row and Broadway. The cancel on the stamp looks like an ordinary duplex hammer that designates station A which was in SoHo and the arrival back stamp just says PO because it was the main office.

"Esq." has only in more recent years been unilaterally grabbed by attorneys seeking to distinguish and honor themselves by styling themselves as "Esquire". Attorneys get away with this since people may call themselves pretty much whatever they please, but the honorific "Esquire" or "Esq." has a much longer standing and actual legal meaning that does not apply to attorneys. It is the second lowest rank of British nobility, ranking just above the rank of "Gentleman" (which has also been unilaterally grabbed by men who do not actually have that legally recognized rank) and "Knight" which so far has not been grabbed by any particular group seeking to unilaterally honor themselves. When you see a letter addressed to Mr. X, Gentleman or Mr. X, Esq. it is being properly addressed to a man who has that particular rank in the nobility in the same way as a letter addressed to "Sir X" or to "Baron X" or such.

The honorific manner of addressing a knight, however, has become quite common. The use of the word Sir or Sirs in addressing people is widely use regardless of participation in any knighthood.

Thank You Kimo & cipalermo1964!

For your insightfull and educational replies. Only recently have I became interested in classic US covers, along with classic stamps.
I had to look Milliner up, didnt know the word.

Thanks!

He was indeed a lawyer. In fact, an internet search reveals the following:

Thanks for following up on that wt1. I've just returned to this thread now.
Indeed my statement wasn't based solely on his use of the Esq., but on an internet search and his name popping up in reference to several cases and in publications.