After returning to Montreal, he trained and worked as a staff photographer for the renowned William Notman and joined the Geological Survey of Canada that laid out the route west for the Canadian Pacific Railway.

His interest in painting was enhanced by his travels and after becoming a member of the Plymouth Brethren religious sect, his devotion to Christianity would sometimes be reflected in his art.

Some of Hammond's best known works depict the Bay of Fundy, including scenes of the harbour at Saint John, New Brunswick with its ever-present fog.

[4] In 1929, Montreal department store magnate and avid art collector J. Aird Nesbitt published "John Hammond : A Short Biography of Canada's Oldest Artist.

[6] In 2002, the town of Sackville held a "Celebration of John Hammond’s Cultural Gifts" that included an exhibition of his paintings.