This is a camera/enlarger, circa 1887, it was used in B of I, Bureau of Identification for photographing arrested individuals, police officers, and for enlarging crime scene photos and fingerprints.
The lights on the end of the camera were apparently installed by a detective when city hall was wired for electivity. We believe this to be the case because this is not the work of a professional. The camera was used until 1993, when Detective and Crime Scene Tech Clarence William Caesar, who was by the way a nationally recognized fingerprint expert, retired.