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I discovered several of these stands in a closed off area under my house
during a recent renovation. The house was built in 1928, which was the
same year that Lee introduced the Whizit overall, and hence
my approximate dating of the item. The piece is die-cut heavyweight cardboard
and is particularly remarkable in that it is double sided, and mounted on its original
wood block. Between 1928 and last Saturday--for nearly 80 years--this item
has literally not seen the light of day. This explains the remarkable vibrant colors
--notice, for example, the green of the grass near the Whizit man's shoes.
The back of the stand is of a matte consistency with a number of
specks most noticeably on the back of the head. The front of the stand
is in near mint condition and has a high gloss finish, as you can see
by the light reflecting off the surface in the photos.
This Lee Jeans outfit was known variously as "Whizit" or "Whizits".
The stand is roughly 7" tall. The die-cut piece is embossed or pressed, giving it a
three-dimensional (3-D) look. For example, the creases in the cloth w Whizit
man flexes his arms are actually depressions in the cardboard itself. Similarly,
the Whizit man's hands are slightly raised above the level of his jean overalls.
I've added some new pictures. As you can see, the figure is quite
straight with little to no warping or bending in the cardboard. The photograph
of the feet shows the vibrancy of the color, and gives a little more detail on the wooden base block.
I've added another close-up shot of the man's torso, this time without as much glare from the light.
--Whizit man also appears in a magazine ad from the October 1927 issue of the
Frisco Employees' Magazine, thus confirming the circa-1928 date.
--The specks on the back appear to come off, though I will not try to remove
them since I lack the resources and expertise. The piece has not been thoroughly
cleaned but only lightly wiped by me to remove much of the surface dirt.
A more thorough cleaning would doubtlessly increase the luster of the piece.
--The "Whizit" was apparently Lee's name for their version of the newly-invented zipper.
--In tiny lettering near the foot on the back of the piece is the word "Saxony".

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