Lewis Swift discovered IC 449 = Sw. VIII-43 on 6 Sep 1888 and recorded "pF, S, R, bM, bet 2 D st." His position matches IC 449, so there's little doubt about the identification, though I'm surprised he didn't mention the nearby 8.5-magnitude star.

600/800mm - 24" (1/28/17): at 375x; moderately bright and large, slightly elongated E-W, ~45"x35". Contains a relatively large brighter core. Situated 4.1' WSW of mag 8.4 HD 47725.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb