Manchin Gives Distinguished Mountaineer Award to Bluefield Photographer Mel Grubb
By William PaineBluefield News Network Writer
Bluefield, WV (BNN) -- Melvin Grubb traveled to Charleston Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2005 to take pictures of an awards ceremony but Gov. Joe Manchin had a surprise for Bluefield’s best known photographer.
“He called me up to the front and I said ‘Governor, I’m here to take pictures,’ and he said “Well, this is an award that I want to give to you,” Grubb told BNN.
Manchin presented the Distinguished Mountaineer Award to Grubb, owner of Grubb Photo Service Inc., 1316 Bland St., for his exemplary work as a professional photographer. Grubb has worked as a photographer for fifty years and has an extensive collection of photos of the region. He also invented the only explosion proof strobe unit for taking photographs in underground coal mines. Grubb is probably best known for his “Fog Over East River Mountain” aerial photograph which hangs on walls all over the world.