Otto Struve discovered NGC 3534 on 18 Mar 1869 with the 15-inch Merz refractor at St Petersburg while searching for Comet Winnecke (7P/Pons-Winnecke). He recorded a "Very faint nebua of uniform light, located 3' southeast (PA 145°) from a mag 9 star. His position is 12 sec of RA west of UGC 6190.

400/500mm - 17.5" (4/22/95): very faint, fairly small, elongated 2:1 E-W, 1.0'x0.5', broad weak concentration. A mag 9.5 star is 4.3' NW. This is a double system with separation 0.9' between centers (unresolved) and forms a triplet with MCG +05-26-064 2.9' ENE.

600/800mm - 24" (4/20/14): faint to fairly faint, fairly small, elongated 2:1 E-W, 0.8'x0.4', low even surface brightness. Largest in a trio (KTG 35) and brighter of a close pair with NGC 3534B = UGC 6193 just 0.9' S. The companion appeared faint, small, elongated 2:1 ~N-S, 24"x12", with the major axis perpendicular to NGC 3534. MCG +05-26-064 lies 2.9' ENE and appeared fairly faint, fairly small, elongated 5:3 N-S, 25"x15", small bright core.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb