Albert Marth discovered NGC 6371 = m 336 on 24 Jun 1864 and noted "vF, S, R." His position is accurate. Dreyer added the comment "np of 2 [with NGC 6372]" in the NGC. Truman Safford independently rediscovered this galaxy on 1 Aug 1866 with the 18.5-inch Clark refractor at the Dearborn Observatory and listed it as Sf 45 in the 1887 publication.

400/500mm - 17.5" (8/1/89): very faint, small, oval 3:2 N-S, low even surface brightness. Located 3.1' NW of brighter NGC 6372.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb