Elizabeth Whitmer Cowdery describes Joseph as translating with his face in a hat.

I staid in Richmond two days and nights. I had a great deal of talk with widow Cowdry, and her amiable daughter. She is married to a Dr Johnson, but has no children. She gave me a certificate, And this is the copy. “Richmond, Ray Co., Mo. Feb 15, 1870—I cheerfully certify that I was familiar with the manner of Joseph Smith's translating the book of Mormon. He translated the most of it at my Father's house. And I often sat by and saw and heard them translate and write for hours together. Joseph never had a curtain drawn between him and his scribes while he was translating. He would place the director in his hat, and then place [-] his hat, so as to exclude the light, and then [read?] to his scribe the words (he said) as they appeared before him. . . .