E.E. Barnard discovered IC 4617 and communicated the discovery directly to Dreyer (date and instrument unknown), but I assume it was assume it was using the 48" at Lick Observatory. His RA is 50 seconds too small but this galaxy clearly matches his description "S, E 29°, bM".

400/500mm - 17.5" (7/16/93): extremely faint, very small, slightly elongated SSW-NNE, difficult and cannot hold continuously with averted vision. Located about 14' NNE of the core of M13 and 15' SW of NGC 6207! A mag 14 star is close following 19" ESE of center and this star forms the SW vertex of a small parallelogram of mag 14 stars with sides approximately 1.5'x0.5'.

17.5" (7/16/88): marginal object, very small, elongated SSW-NNE, mag 14 star close following.

17.5" (8/21/87): extremely faint, very small streak oriented SW-NE. Located just west of a mag 14 star that forms one vertex of a small trapezoid of mag 14 stars. Only visible part of the time (~20%) with averted.

600/800mm - 24" (6/16/12): at 280x; very faint, small, very elongated 5:2 SSW-NNE, ~24"x10". Situated just 18" W of a mag 14.7 star that forms the southwest vertex of a small trapezoid of mag 14-15 stars.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb