William Herschel discovered NGC 4699 = H I-129 = h1437 = h3425 on 3 Mar 1786 (sweep 536) and recorded "very brilliant, iR, vgmbM." From Slough, John Herschel described "vB; R; vsmbM to a fine resolvable nucleus, 40". He mistakenly added in parentheses "doubtless a globular cluster".

Based on photos taken at the Helwan Observatory in Egypt in 1919-20, the galaxy was described as "A curious and complex form of spiral. The N is vB and alm stellar. From it project two bright slightly curved spiral arms in p.a. 55° and total length 40"; these merge into a pB oval disc with a sharp edge 1' x 40", E 50° in which are dark lanes and indications of spiral structure; outside this is a vF slightly irr. oval disc 3.5'x 2', E 45°. "

400/500mm - 17.5" (4/21/90): very bright, moderately large, elongated 3:2 SSW-NNE, very small intense core with a bright stellar nucleus.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb