William Herschel discovered NGC 1964 = H IV-21 = h2860 on 20 Nov 1784 (sweep 325) and recorded "vS, stellar, the nucleus very brigh; the chevelure vF and not perfectly central; there seems to be a vS star preceding it." His RA is 13 sec too large, but the identification is certain. John Herschel observed this galaxy from the Cape of Good Hope and recorded "F, irregularly round, vsbM, to a star 12th mag, 2 or 3 stars involved, and several bright ones near." His position was accurate.

300/350mm - 13" (12/18/82): faint, elongated, small bright nucleus, fairly small, faint halo surrounded core.

400/500mm - 17.5" (12/3/88): fairly faint, fairly large, very elongated 3:1 SSW-NNE, unusually bright stellar nucleus. A mag 13.5 star is at the west edge 0.7' from center and a mag 14 star is at the SSW edge of the major axis 1.2' from center. Situated just southeast of a thin triangle of mag 9.5-10.5 stars, the closest being mag 9.3 SAO 170546 1.7' NW of center.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb