William Herschel discovered NGC 7454 = H II-249 on 15 Oct 1784 (sweep 290) and recorded "F, vS, R, lbM." The next night (sweep 294), he logged "F, pS, E, following a pB star." Rudolph Spitaler measured a very accurate micrometric position with the 27" refractor in Vienna in 1891.

300/350mm - 13.1" (9/3/83): faint, small, extended NNW-SSE, small bright core. A brighter star is close WNW.

400/500mm - 17.5" (9/14/85): fairly bright, small, bright core, stellar nucleus, fainter extended halo. A mag 11 star is 52" WNW of center. Member of the NGC 7448 group.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb