R.J. Mitchell discovered NGC 71 on 7 Oct 1855 while observing the NGC 68 group. It was accurately placed on the sketch (plate XXV, fig 1) in the 1861 publication. Heinrich d'Arrest independently found the galaxy on 23 Sep 1865.

400/500mm - 17.5" (8/27/87): very faint, small, oval ~E-W, weak concentration. Member of the NGC 68 group and third in a close trio with NGC 68 1.2' NW and NGC 70 1.0' NNW.

600/800mm - 24" (9/15/12): fairly faint to moderately bright, fairly small, round, sharply concentrated with a high surface brightness 0.4' core and a much fainter halo to 40" diameter. In a tight group of 10 galaxies including NGC 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, along with numerous stars mixed in! A mag 14 star is 40" ENE.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb