I am truly impressed. If nothing else, the 1936 date on the paperwork suggests this sparky's work has stod the test of time.
That very well could be asbestos sheeting lining the wood box. Good catch.
The 'blob' at the bottom is an old service entrance fitting - something we use a weatherhead for these days. You'll find this sort of thing in knob & tube installs.
The paperwork also shows fuses. I suspect that the fuse blocks were removed, and replaced with the innards from another panel.
