Maschmann was elected to the Norwegian Parliament in 1845, representing the constituency of Smaalenenes Amt which corresponds to the current Østfold county.[3] In 1856, he acquired the family pharmaceutical business, Elefantapoteket i Christiania, which he operated until 1860.[4]
He was married to Antoinette Augusta Aars with whom he had five children. They were the maternal great-parents of jurist and magistrate Harald Gram.[5] He was the father-in-law of the book collector Thorvald Boeck.