Albert Marth discovered NGC 6674 = m 386 = Sf 32 = St II-23 on 6 Jun 1864 and noted "F, pS, bM." Truman Safford rediscovered the galaxy on 6 Jun 1871 and noted "pB, pL". A month later Édouard Stephan found it again on 18 Jul 1871 and measured a very accurate micrometric position. Stephan is credited with the discovery in the GC Supplement and both Marth and Stephan are listed in the NGC. Safford's discovery was not published until 1887.

400/500mm - 17.5" (7/1/89): fairly faint, fairly large, very diffuse, elongated NW-SE, bright core, faint stellar nucleus or a faint star is superimposed. Several faint stars are near.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb