John Herschel discovered NGC 1373 = h2556 on 29 Nov 1837 and recorded "eF, vS, the preceding of three [with NGC 1374 and 1375]." His position is quite poor and lands at the southwest edge of NGC 1374, so clearly there was some problem with the observation. When Julius Schmidt observed the field he measured an accurate position for NGC 1374, but was unsure of its identification and has no measurement for NGC 1373. Still, there are only three galaxies here, and Herschel's description is appropriate for ESO 358-021 = PGC 13252. Harold Knox-Shaw found this galaxy again on a photograph taken with the 30-inch Reynolds reflector between 1912-14 at the Helwan Observatory and reported it as new in the 1915 observatory bulletin.

300/350mm - 13.1" (12/22/84): very faint, extremely small. First of three with NGC 1374 4.8' SE and NGC 1375 6.8' SE. Member of the Fornax I cluster member.

400/500mm - 18" (12/17/11): fairly faint, fairly small, elongated 4:3 NW-SE, 40"x30", broad concentration. Smallest and faintest in a trio with NGC 1374 and 1375 about 6' SE.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb