Bruce Watt

Bruce Watt operated out of a workshop in Newmarket / Epsom. He is best know as the manufacturer of the the 'Storkline' folding chair but also made a range of early NZ toys called "Tink-E-Toys" from die-cast lead.

Storkline chairs were a staple choice for halls, churches and schools throughout New Zealand during the 1940s and 50s. The thin folded profile and elegant utilitarian form made them the perfect chair for most institutions around the country.

The design for the Storkline looks to have been adapted from an almost identical American chair designed by Walter Nordmark and produced by The American Seating Co. The Storkline is patented in NZ in 1947 while the Walter Nordmark Chair is patented in the United States in 1943.

Today Storkline chairs are scarce as many were dumped or burned during refurbishments. They remain a highly functional and beautiful chair and are also coveted design objects.