Bean, that's an interesting find. It is a bellows style camera, and it
looks to have seen a lot of use in it's life.
Could very well be a home build, and depending on the lens my *guess*
is it was used for portrait pics (like mug shots). Also guessing the lens
is 50mm?
Find an older portrait photographer in your area, and have them take
a look at it, or you might even be best checking with a camera collectors
group.
Did it come with a wood case?