William Herschel discovered NGC 3552 = H III-352 = h832, along with NGC 3550, on 11 Apr 1785 (sweep 396). He recorded "Two [along with NGC 3550], both vF and vS. The most south [NGC 3552] is the faintest and but for the other could not have been observed." John Herschel made 3 observations, describing this object on sweep 65 as "so excessively faint as hardly to be discerned on long attention. The second of a group of 3 [with NGC 3561]."

Hermann Kobold measured micrometric positions of the cluster in 1902 with the 18-inch refractor at Strasbourg, but nothing is at his position for NGC 3552, so he likely misidentified the offset star. Also see notes on NGC 3553.

300/350mm - 13.1" (3/24/84): very faint glow that is slightly brighter than NGC 3553, situated very close SW just 44" from center. Located in the core of AGC 1185.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb