Anyone want to take a guess as to what this was used for or how it was used?

[BrianG]

Kind of reminds me of how an automotive ignition switch works really. The switch shaft is actuall a cam that activates different circuits at different times (and some overlap).

So, I would say that the switches simply turn on/off the outlets in different combinations based on the rotary control. And the toggles are some sort of master on/off as an override.

It looks like an electric torturing apparatus