Ca. late 1850s, Hammerschmidt was working as a professional photographer in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia. In 1860, Hammerschmidt opened a shop in Cairo, Egypt, which sold photographs and photographic materials. Ca. 1860, Hammerschmidt was associated with the photographic studio "Braun Brothers" located in Alexandria, Egypt. In 1869, Hammerschmidt photographed the interior of Saint Sepulchre in Je