Guillaume Bigourdan found IC 1703 = Big. 369 on 27 Oct 1897 while searching for NGC 557. He couldn't find this object at Swift's position, which was 46 seconds of RA too large, so assumed it was new. As a result, NGC 557 = IC 1703, with NGC 557 the primary designation. UGC and CGCG label the galaxy as IC 1703 but RC3 identifies it as NGC 557.

400/500mm - 17.5" (1/1/92): faint, small, round, broad concentration, halo gradually fades into background. Located 4.5' WNW of mag 8.7 SAO 129302 and 20' SE of the core of AGC 194.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb