Francis Leavenworth discovered NGC 1221 = LM 2-356 in 1886 with the 26" refractor at the Leander McCormick Observatory and recorded "mag 15.5, 0.2'x0.1', E 170?, * in PA 175? (south)." His position is 20 sec of RA east of MCG -01-09-002 = PGC 11739 and his PA estimate matches. Howe's corrected position in the IC 2 Notes is accurate. Bigourdan listed this galaxy as #255, measured an accurate position, and noted "could be NGC 1221 with an error of 20 sec in RA." MCG gives the NGC designation as uncertain.

400/500mm - 17.5" (1/7/89): very faint, very small, round. A mag 13 star is 1.2' SE. FIrst of three with NGC 1223 8' NNE and NGC 1225 15' NE. Also IC 1886 lies 10' SSW. All four galaxies are visible in a 35' field.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb