Neptune’s Fortune Book Talk with Julian Sancton
- John Brown House, Providence, RI 02906
- Providence
- February 23, 2026
Exploring sunken ships and finding lost treasure is a dream shared by many youth. But where does one start that endeavor? Join the John Brown House Museum, a Rhode Island Historical Society Museum, on Monday, February 23rd at 5:30 pm as we host Julian Sancton, author of Neptune’s Fortune: The Billion-Dollar Shipwreck and the Ghosts of the Spanish Empire.
During this lecture, Sancton will explore one man’s quest to locate the “Holy Grail of Shipwrecks.” Delve into the story of Roger Dooley, whose work in a Spanish archive led him to discover the San José, an eighteenth-century Spanish Galleon sunk off the coast of Colombia. Sancton wove together the historical events that led to the ship’s sinking, the competition among treasure hunters, and the archival work required to locate it against all odds.
Julian Sancton is a senior features editor and has a long career as a writer for numerous publications such as Vanity Fair, National Geographic, Esquire, The New Yorker, and GQ. His Bachelor’s Degree in History from Harvard, combined with deep research experience, has translated into his New York Times bestselling book, Madhouse at the End of the Earth, which focuses on the story of an ill-fated 1897 Belgian expedition to Antarctica.
Doors open at 4:30pm for a complimentary reception and book signing. Admission costs $10 per person, and $5 for RIHS members. A combo ticket that includes a hardcover copy of Neptune’s Fortune is available for $45.31, or $36.78 for RIHS members (prices include sales tax). Advance tickets are recommended as space is limited to 30 attendees. The John Brown House Museum is located at 52 Power Street in Providence; parking is available off Charlesfield Street.
Admission is $5 for RIHS members and $10 for GA. Guests can register here.
Additional Information
- Dates: February 23, 2026
- Location: Rhode Island Historical Society
- Address: John Brown House, Providence, RI 02906
- Time: 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM



