Pierre M.  Lapie (1779 - 1850) and his son Alexandre Emile Lapie (1809 - 1850) were French  cartographers and engravers active in the early part of the 19th century. The  Lapies were commissioned officers in the French army holding the ranks of  Colonel and Capitan, respectively. Alexander enjoyed the title of "First  Geographer to the King", and this title appears on several of his atlases. Both  father and son were exceptional engravers and fastidious cartographers. Working  separately and jointly they published four important atlases, an 1811 Atlas of  the French Empire (Alexander), the 1812 Atlas Classique et Universel (Pierre),  the Atlas Universel de Geographie Ancienne et Modern (joint issue), this atlas  is the version destined to the education of the elite class during the  Napoleonic period , the map including the annexing of most of the European  nation was soon to be discarded after the defeat of 1815 pushing Napoleon to  exile and the restoration of Louis XXVIII to the throne .Lapie brought rigor and  discipline  with its precise engraving and informational density which was  influential on German commercial map makers in the 19th century , destined to  take over cartography in continental Europe during the mid 1800 ; you can see  the similarity in the work of Stieler ( see  Adolf Stieler 26 February 1775  – 13 March 1836).Works by Lapie are held in the collection of the Library of  Congress and museum .
It  includes 3 folded large maps of the French empire , Italy , United kingdom , 17  x 18 .There is also a map of Duché de Varsovie , The Duchy of Warsaw (Polish:  Księstwo Warszawskie, was a Polish state established by Napoleon I in 1807 from  the Polish lands ceded by the Kingdom of Prussia under the terms of the Treaties  of Tilsit. The duchy was held in personal union by one of Napoleon's allies,  King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony. Following Napoleon's failed invasion of  Russia, the duchy was occupied by Prussian and Russian troops until 1815, when  it was formally partitioned between the two countries at the Congress of Vienna.
The atlas  is complete , usually it is easier to sell the map individually which  unfortunately destroy it , in this situation it is a great opportunity to  acquire an artistic and historically significant books . Fine cooper engraving  with water color colored border .
11 x  14.5 inches , petit folio ,good condition , restored cover ,light toning and occasional faint  age spots; some marginal handling marks .