William Herschel discovered NGC 3254 = H I-72 = h714 on 13 Mar 1785 (sweep 386) and recorded "cB, cL, E, mbM. The brightness [core] also extended." His position is just off the west side of UGC 5685. John Herschel made a total of 3 observations. R.J. Mitchell noted "dark spaces suspected" in his 20 Mar 1854 observation at Birr Castle.

400/500mm - 17.5" (4/9/94): moderately bright, moderately large, edge-on 4:1 SW-NE, 3.0'x0.8', sharp concentration with small oval core surrounded by faint unconcentrated extensions, occasional very faint stellar nucleus. A mag 14 star is 2.9' W and a pair of mag 10 stars at 1.2' separation follows by 6'. Member of the NGC 3245 group (LGG 197)

Notes by Steve Gottlieb