Albert Marth discovered NGC 7256 = m 472 on 27 Sep 1864 and noted " 3 stars involved in F nebulosity." There is nothing at his position by 10' north is ESO 602-013 = PGC 68686. His description is a there are only two stars involved, though a third "star" is probably the nucleus. Frank Muller found the galaxy again in 1886 at the Leander McCormick observatory and reported it as new in list II-467 (later NGC 7254).

In 1898 Herbert Howe reported "These are identical. The place of NGC 7254 is wrong in right ascension, and the place of 7256 is 10' wrong in declination. I could find only one nebular object in this vicinity. Two of the three stars involved, and mentioned by Marth were seen; the third was suspected. The northernmost one was brightest and was of mag 14."

400/500mm - 17.5" (7/1/89): faint, fairly small, elongated WNW-ESE. A mag 15 star is involved at the NE end. Located 16' SE of mag 41 Aquarii (5.6/6.7 pair at 5").

Notes by Steve Gottlieb