about steve santini

At a very early age Steve Adams Santini fell in love with ocean liners in general and disaster ships in particular. He credits a summertime cottage viewing of the classic film, “A Night to Remember,” combined with his Father taking him as a young lad to see the fictional ocean liner disaster movie, “The Poseidon Adventure,” with his passion for lost ships.  

 In his mid 20’s Steve moved from his home city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada to Halifax, Nova Scotia. There, he tracked down families who had relatives on the various Titanic body recovery ships and he managed to assemble one of the largest groupings of Titanic surface wreckage and debris owned by a private individual. Back when Steve began his search there was not the frenzy of interest that was later generated by James Cameron’s movie. 

In time, his ever growing collection of objects and research eventually inspired Steve to open the small, “Titanic Memorial Museum,” which he operated for two years in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. Years later Steve would once again open a Titanic museum. This second museum was the 4000 square foot, “Manitoba Museum of the Titanic,” which operated in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Portage la Prairie is also where Steve met his life partner, Vera Hermanns. 

During his time in Manitoba, Steve was asked to consult with the art department during pre production work on the blockbuster James Cameron film, “Titanic.” Steve provided photos and measurements of rare Titanic related objects in his collection to assist the prop makers of Cameron’s film in the making of accurate replicas to be used on camera. 

In addition to assisting with various Titanic film and television projects and also operating his museum, Steve sourced authentic Titanic objects for some of the world’s most prestigious and well known Titanic collections. Indeed, if there is a collection of merit in the Titanic collecting community, odds are that Steve Adams Santini discovered or sourced at least one of the important objects in it! Shortly after the birth of their daughter Shaina, Steve and his wife Vera closed their Manitoba museum and moved back to Ontario where Steve was born and grew up.

Over the years Steve has authored the following Titanic books; “Titanic: Touchstones of a Tragedy,” and, “The Science and Story of Titanic.” This latter title consists of a book and also a submersible Titanic plastic model, (which Steve designed), that slowly sinks and then splits in two. Today this limited production book and model kit has become a much sought after collector’s item among Titanic aficionados the world over.

Steve provided artifacts from his collection to compliment two premieres of the IMAX film, “Titanica,” and has researched for, assisted, and/or authenticated Titanic relics for numerous international auction houses.

Steve has also spent the last two decades providing authentic Titanic and Titanic related artifacts to major museums and Titanic themed attractions. He and Vera founded the company, “Titanic Concepts Inc,” to oversee this branch of their Titanic interests. Various international museums and attractions Steve has assisted with research, (either directly or indirectly), and/or where he has exhibited artifacts from his own collection include the following:

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, USA

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Missouri, USA

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Museum in Simi Valley, California, USA

The National Geographic Museum in Washington, DC, USA

The Titanic Belfast Attraction 

Today Steve Adams Santini is viewed by many as the “go to” guy where rare Titanic and Titanic related artifacts are concerned. He has authenticated and assisted in the research of Titanic objects that later went on to realize world breaking prices for Titanic material. Three examples of such research include the Oscar Woody Titanic postal keys, the “Nantucket” Titanic Deck Chair, and of late, the incredible and iconic violin famously played by Wallace Hartley as the great ship sank. 

In 2007, noted Titanic auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said the following about Steve Adams Santini; “There are very few experts in the world who can rival the depth of Steve’s knowledge and history of the Titanic.”

Presently, Steve lives with his wife Vera in Ontario, Canada. He currently has objects from his collection on long term loan to twin 25 million dollar Titanic museum attractions in the USA. Eternally captivated with famous disaster ships, Steve continues to research and seek out objects from Titanic and other vessels that met with tragic ends. Indeed, Steve’s collection of objects from iconic lost ships and ocean liners is without a doubt the finest private collection of it’s kind in North America.

Titanic and shipwrecks aside, Steve also boasts a world class assortment of authentic items from the career of legendary aviatrix Amelia Earhart, rare relics from the fabled ancient Norse people better known as, “Vikings,” and a large collection of historic criminal punishment objects including rare artifacts connected to numerous infamous witch trials and witch hunts of the 16th– 18th centuries.