In this presentation, we intend to examine the ethical and workrelated issues relative to mass digitization projects of photografic archives. Our paper asks: who and what is there behind these productions? Our goal is to analyze and contextualize the activities of the digitizer, the frontline and central figure in the transformation of the archives from analogue to digital. Historically, the transmission of knowledge is based upon a continuous copying process; whereas monks once manually transferred content from manuscript to manuscript, contemporary digitizers follow in their footsteps, giving old analogue photographs a new digital life by utilizing contemporary transcription pathways. These aspects will be examined starting with our working experience within the photographic archive of the Pompeii excavations. During this experience we elaborate upon the idea that digitizers must no longer be considered as mere mechanical performers in the process of digital acquisition, but as consciously trained professionals, able to engage critically in the various processes involved in the creation of a digital archive.