Hammond’s courtship with vivacious Clara Williams, the daughter of a Toronto Methodist minister, is well documented in some of his early photographs. These glass plate negatives from 1896 and 1897 show Hammond and Clara and their friends on bicycle outings and at picnics on Toronto Island. Hammond and Clara were married in September 1900. A son Harold was born in 1903 and a daughter Isabel in 1909.

After living in several places in Toronto and Ottawa. The Hammonds eventually settled into their home on 148 Albany Street, in the area of Toronto now known as “the Annex”. The Hammond’s lived a fairly comfortable middle class life, hiring servants when the children were young and taking regular vacations. The Hammonds had a very active social life attending plays, social evenings, lectures and musical events at Massey Hall and visiting with their wide circle of friends and family who were often subjects of many of his photographs.

Two men fishing in a boat, [ca. 1905]
M. O. Hammond
Glass lantern slide
Reference Code: F 1075-15-0-0-79
Archives of Ontario, I0016653

Isabel Hammond, Mary O'Gorman,
Harold Hammond and Owen Seymour at
Harold and Mary's Wedding, July 1928
M. O. Hammond
Black and white negative
Reference Code: F 1075
Archives of Ontario, I0016550

Isabel Hammond in garden at home, Toronto,
July 17, 1923
M. O. Hammond
Black and white negative
Reference Code: F 1075
Archives of Ontario, I0001151

Mazo de la Roche, Clarkson, July 1928
M. O. Hammond
Black and white negative
Reference Code: F 1075
Archives of Ontario, I0016549

Picnic on Toronto Island, July 17, 1923
Toronto Islands (Ont.)
M. O. Hammond
Black and white negative
Reference Code: F 1075
Archives of Ontario, I0001147

C. W. Jefferys' children, York Mills, July 1923
York Mills (Ont.)
M. O. Hammond
Black and white negative
Reference Code: F 1075
Archives of Ontario, I0001187

Isabel Hammond , December 1923
M. O. Hammond
Black and white negative
Reference Code: F 1075
Archives of Ontario, I0001286

Garden Party, July 1924
M. O. Hammond
Black and white negative
Reference Code: F 1075
Archives of Ontario, I0001312

Tea party in a garden, July 1924
M. O. Hammond
Black and white negative
Reference Code: F 1075
Archives of Ontario, I0001316

Supper party outdoors in the garden, Toronto,
July 12, 1925
M. O. Hammond
Black and white negative
Reference Code: F 1075
Archives of Ontario, I0001352

Picnic by roadside, Esquesing
September 1925
M. O. Hammond
Black and white negative
Reference Code: F 1075
Archives of Ontario, I0001476

Clara in boat, July 24, 1906
M. O. Hammond
Black and white negative
Reference Code: F 1075
Archives of Ontario, I0017231